Edvard Grieg Popular Song Rankings [2026]

Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46: I. MorningEdvard Grieg15rank/position

Edvard Grieg – Peer Gynt : Morning Mood – Piano Solo | Leiki Ueda

Just hearing the opening melody is enough for most people to feel, “Ah, morning has come.” It’s often used as background music for morning-related scenes on TV and elsewhere, so even if you don’t know the composer or the source, as a Japanese listener you can’t help but picture a refreshing morning.

This piece, Morning, is one of the movements from Peer Gynt, a suite by the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg.

The suite originated when Grieg was commissioned to write incidental music for staging Henrik Ibsen’s play Peer Gynt.

Its fresh, beautiful melody is perfect for morning and seems likely to rouse you pleasantly even on a hot summer day.

As an aside, in the context of the incidental music, Morning actually plays when the protagonist finds himself in a truly miserable situation.

Knowing the play’s story and what the creator intended to express in this piece might change the familiar image you have of Morning.

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Lyric Pieces, Book V, Op. 54 No. 3 “March of the Dwarfs”Edvard Grieg16rank/position

Grieg: Lyric Pieces, Book V — March of the Dwarfs (March of the Trolls), Op. 54-3; pf. Miyu Ishiguro

Edvard Grieg, Norway’s national composer, nurtured a passion for music from a young age and left behind lyrical, refined works rooted in his homeland’s folk music.

Lyric Pieces, Book V, Op.

54, published in 1891, is a collection of five piano pieces.

Among them, March of the Dwarfs is a playful miniature inspired by the troll, a fairy from Norwegian folklore, and is notable for its captivating, technically varied melodies.

Its structure alternates between a contrasting main section and a middle section, evoking the poignant yet beautiful world of the North.

Lyric Suite, Op. 54Edvard Grieg17rank/position

Edvard Grieg: Lyric Suite. Edward Gardner and Bergen Philharmonic

Grieg’s Lyric Suite consists of four movements, each with its own distinctive atmosphere.

Completed in 1904, the suite is an arrangement of four pieces selected from Grieg’s Lyric Pieces for piano, and it conveys his affection for his homeland.

The pastoral scene of a shepherd boy, the robust march of peasants, a tranquil night landscape, and the lively procession of elves are all vividly portrayed through rich orchestration.

It’s a perfect recommendation for those interested in Norwegian landscapes and folklore, or for anyone seeking heartwarming melodies.

Two Norwegian Melodies, Op. 63Edvard Grieg18rank/position

Grieg: Two Nordic melodies op. 63 – Thomas Dausgaard & Helsinki Philharmonic

A work that expresses Norway’s rich nature and culture through music.

It consists of two movements for string orchestra and skillfully weaves in folk-song and dance melodies.

The first movement unfolds a wistful theme through five variations that build gradually in intensity.

The second contrasts a pastoral “cow-calling song” with a lively “stamping dance,” vividly evoking Norwegian landscapes and everyday life.

Composed in 1895, this masterpiece reflects Grieg’s deep affection for folk music.

It’s recommended for anyone interested in Norway’s nature and culture or those who want to enjoy the heartwarming sonorities of strings.

Two Elegiac MelodiesEdvard Grieg19rank/position

Grieg: Two Elegiac Melodies, Op. 34: No. 2 [Last Spring] [Naxos Classical Curations #Romantic]

Two pieces selected from the song collection Twelve Melodies, Op.

33, set to poems by the Norwegian farmer-poet Aasmund Olavsson Vinje, were arranged by Edvard Grieg himself for string orchestra as Two Elegiac Melodies.

The two movements are Heart Wounds and The Last Spring.

Though steeped in sorrow, their grand sense of scale strongly conveys Grieg’s Nordic character.

These works soothe a downcast spirit and calm a restless heart.

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Ich liebe dichEdvard Grieg20rank/position

I Love You (Grieg) Ich liebe dich (Grieg)

It is a vocal piece.

At the beginning, an indescribably sweet and gentle piano accompaniment draws the song in.

In this piece, “Ich liebe dich” is repeated many times, allowing one to feel true love.

In particular, the part where the singer vows eternal love expresses eternity through the use of tenuto and fermata.

“Morning Mood” from Peer GyntEdvard Grieg21rank/position

'Morning Mood' from 'Peer Gynt' — Grieg

Incidental music by Edvard Grieg, one of Norway’s foremost composers, written for Henrik Ibsen’s play Peer Gynt.

The play recounts the story of the free-spirited Peer Gynt as he sets off on his travels and returns in old age.

Of the 26 pieces of incidental music, several were selected and published as orchestral suites.

Morning Mood, which opens Act IV, is a clear, luminous piece depicting dawn in the Sahara Desert.

Its flute melody is especially famous, conveying a grandeur as if the morning sun were beautifully illuminating the sands.

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HATSUMI

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