Even when this little boy was in the primary school the music knocked at
his heart's door as if it would say:
"Let me out into the world so that people may hear me."
[Illustration: No. 2 GRIEG AS A BOY]
When he was twelve years old he started out one morning as usual, but
instead of taking his school books he took with him his music writing
book which contained what he termed "Variation on a German Melody Op.
1."
[Illustration: No. 3 FROM THE NORWEGIAN BRIDAL PROCESSION]
Can you not imagine how proud he must have been of his Op. 1?
[Illustration: No. 4 GRIEG'S SIGNATURE]
His schoolmates were very proud to see the music of their companion
Edvard. But alas! While they were looking at it and talking about it,
whom do you think came creeping up behind them?
Why, the schoolmaster, to be sure.
He gave little Edvard a rough shaking up and told him how severely he
would be punished if ever again he brought such nonsense to school.
Poor old schoolmaster! He did not know what Edvard Grieg would one day
mean to the land and people of Norway. For Edvard loved not only the
music that kept singing in him, but he loved Norway and all its people.
Do you think any one could help loving such mountains as these?
[Illustration: No. 5 NORWEGIAN MOUNTAIN SCENE]
But all the grown up folks of Edvard's world did not call his music
rubbish. His mother loved music and played beautifully. It was from her
that Edvard had his first lessons, just as Mendelssohn was first taught
by his mother.
Then one day something wonderful happened. A great violinist, Ole Bull
by name, visited the Grieg family in the country. He was so kind to the
little composer that the boy just loved him.
[Illustration: No. 6 OLE BULL]
Ole Bull had traveled the world over playing the violin. He looked over
Edvard's compositions and made the boy play them to him. You can see him
nodding his head in pleasure as he listens. His fine eyes are lighted
up. He tells the boy composer that his music is quite good, but that
there is a lot for him to learn yet. So he must study earnestly and make
many sacrifices.
Then Ole Bull sits down and talks with Father and Mother Grieg. It is a
serious talk, as one can see. Finally, when the talk is finished, Ole
Bull takes the wondering boy by the hand and says to him:
"You are going to Leipzig to study and become a fine musician."
So Edvard Grieg left his home city, Bergen, its mountains, its fjords,
its people, his father and mother, and traveled south through Norway,
across the water and into Germany. No doubt he was a lonesome boy. Life
had become serious all at once and there was much to be done.
[Illustration: No. 7 BERGEN FJORD]
It was all strange and new. Instead of hills and the waters of the
fjords, there were tall, dark houses, gloomy streets, and such a lot of
hurrying people.
[Illustration: No. 8 SCENE IN LEIPZIG]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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