ABSTRACT
In all the long history of Western music with its thousands of composers, only a very few have been blessed with the gift to create music which has struck a lasting universal chord in the human ear and heart. In the nineteenth century, National Romanticism was a cultural response in non-Germanic European countries which were striving to establish distinct political, economic, and cultural identities. Until the middle of the nineteenth century Norway was an unknown backwater in European history and culture. Edvard Grieg’s sensitivity to the language of the poems was such that his musical style reflected characteristics of the country in question. Therefore his songs have noticeably less nationalistic style than his instrumental pieces, and are more universal in character. In addition, one of Grieg’s greatest gifts in writing songs was his ability to listen creatively to the inherent rhythm of a poem, discerning both normal speech rhythms and the poetic meter.
