Music by Edward Grieg

Ballet in 2 acts

Choreography  by George Kovtun

Libretto by George Kovtun based on Henrik Ibsen's play

CREDITS

Staged by George Kovtun

Set Design by Andrey Zlobin (Kiev)

Costume Design by Anna Ipateva (Kiev)

2003  PRODUCTION


Summary

"Peer Gynt" is a five-act play in verse by the Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen, loosely based on the fairy tale Peer Gynt. Interpreted in its day as a satire on the Norwegian personality, Peer Gynt is the story of a life based on procrastination and avoidance

Ibsen asked Edward Grieg to compose incidental music for the play. Grieg composed a score that plays approximately ninety minutes. Grieg extracted two suites of four pieces each from the incidental music (Opus 46 and Opus 55), which became very popular as concert music. Two of the sung parts of the incidental music ended up in these suites (the famous In the Hall of the Mountain King in the 1st suite with the vocal parts omitted, and the last part of  2nd suite, Solveig's Song, the solo part now played by violin rather than sung, though the vocal version is sometimes substituted).

The music of these suites, especially Morning Mood starting the first suite, In the Hall of the Mountain King, and the string lament Åse's Death later reappeared in numerous arrangements, soundtracks, etc.