In the Hall of the Mountain King (1875)
Composer: Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
Edvard Grieg was born in Bergen, Norway. His early music education was primarily shaped by his mother, Gesine Hagerup, who was a gifted pianist.
At the age of 15, Grieg entered the Leipzig Conservatory, Germany. After four years of extensive study he returned to Norway having developed great skills as a pianist, conductor and composer.
A chance meeting with the man who wrote Norway’s National Anthem awakened Grieg’s pursuit to compose music based on Norwegian folk melodies and the natural environment of Norway.
Lesson 1: Listening and responding
1. Before listening to In the Hall of the Mountain King, briefly discuss how music helps to tell the story in films and in plays. (e.g. creates suspense, adds dramatic effect, enhances mood etc.)
2. Create a mud map of the piece on the board using the students feedback.
In this discussion be sure to use the concepts of music as a reference points.
Concepts of music
• duration
• pitch
• dynamics and expressive techniques
• tone colour
• texture
• structure
Listen to the recording of In the Hall of the Mountain King, found here, do not tell the class the name of the piece.
What do you imagine is happening in the story? How does the music show this?
b) Students compile a list of words/ideas that describe the feelings portrayed in the music. (e.g. fear,
excitement, sinister, threatening, chase)
c) Discuss students’ ideas in terms of the musical clues that triggered their thoughts.
d) Introduce the notion of tempo - fast, slow, accelerando (gradually getting faster), and decelerando
(gradually slowing down) by using a ‘follow my beat’ activity (teacher conducts while class clap
pulse).
Listening Guide
The Extended Story Narrated Animation.
Compare and contrast the student responses with the narrative.
