Peer Gynt Suite No. 2, Op. 55 (1891)
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
If Edvard Grieg’s first Peer Gynt Suite gives us the iconic, chart-topping "greatest hits" from his incidental music, the second suite offers something deeper: the rest of the story. Assembled several years after the first, Peer Gynt Suite No. 2 is a more reflective and dramatic journey. It dispenses with some of the more whimsical scenes and instead traces the profound emotional arc of its protagonist’s life, from youthful recklessness and exotic delusion to a calamitous homecoming and a final, poignant redemption.
Once again, we must remember who Peer
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Peer Gynt Suite No. 2, Op. 55 (1891)
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
If Edvard Grieg’s first Peer Gynt Suite gives us the iconic, chart-topping "greatest hits" from his incidental music, the second suite offers something deeper: the rest of the story. Assembled several years after the first, Peer Gynt Suite No. 2 is a more reflective and dramatic journey. It dispenses with some of the more whimsical scenes and instead traces the profound emotional arc of its protagonist’s life, from youthful recklessness and exotic delusion to a calamitous homecoming and a final, poignant redemption.
Once again, we must remember who Peer Gynt is: not a hero, but a charming, self-absorbed fantasist. Where the first suite introduced us to his character flaws through memorable vignettes, this second collection feels like a more cohesive narrative, delving into the consequences of his chaotic life. Grieg himself selected these four movements to give a fuller picture of Peer's odyssey.
I. The Abduction of the Bride. Ingrid's Lament (Bruderovet. Ingrids Klage): This movement throws us directly into one of Peer’s most outrageous acts. The music begins with a wild, frantic dance as the disruptive Peer crashes a local wedding and, on a whim, kidnaps the bride, Ingrid. He drags her up into the mountains, only to abandon her the next day. The music then shifts dramatically from this chaotic abduction to a beautiful, melancholic melody—Ingrid’s lament. It’s a cry of sorrow and shame from the woman left behind, a poignant reminder of the human cost of Peer's impulsive behavior.
II. Arabian Dance (Arabisk Dans): As in the first suite, we find Peer in North Africa, living a life of utter fantasy. Having amassed and lost several fortunes, he is now posing as a charismatic prophet in a Bedouin encampment. This dance, with its hypnotic melody carried by the flute and piccolo and its exotic rhythm punctuated by triangle and tambourine, sets a scene of opulent decadence. The daughters of the chief dance for Peer, who is, for a moment, the master of a world of his own making before it all comes crashing down.
III. Peer Gynt's Homecoming (Stormy Evening on the Sea) (Peer Gynts Hjemfart): This is one of Grieg’s most masterful tone poems. After decades of aimless wandering, the now old and weary Peer is finally sailing back to Norway. But the sea has one last trial for him. Grieg unleashes the full force of the orchestra to depict a furious storm. You can hear the howling wind in the woodwinds, the crashing waves in the strings, and the terrifying roar of the tempest in the brass and percussion. The music paints a vivid, terrifying picture of Peer’s ship being torn apart, sinking and taking his life's material wealth with it, leaving him with nothing but himself.
IV. Solveig's Song (Solveigs Sang): After the storm, we arrive at the emotional heart of the entire Peer Gynt saga. Solveig is the woman Peer loved and abandoned in his youth. While he roamed the world, she remained, living a solitary life in a cabin in the forest, faithfully waiting for his return. This simple, profoundly beautiful folk-like melody is her song of unwavering love, patience, and longing. In the play’s final moments, the broken, aged Peer stumbles back to her cabin and collapses in her arms. She sings her song to him, and in her steadfast love, the life-long scoundrel finds his only true absolution. It is a powerful and deeply moving conclusion, a testament to the idea that redemption can be found in the love you leave behind.
