Edvard Grieg (1843–1907) is known to every music lover for his Peer Gynt suite, piano concerto, and arrangements of folk songs. When Edvard Grieg: The Man and the Artist was first published in Norway in 1980 it was quickly rec-ognized as the definitive biography of the great composer. Finn Benestad and Dag Schjelderup-Ebbe, the world's leading authorities on Grieg, lent liveliness and objectivity to their book after decades of dedicated research. Working with the authors, William H. Halverson and Leland B. Sateren have now translated the biography into English, updating it to include details of astonishing new developments: the discovery in the 1980s of a cache of manuscripts and letters by Grieg and the publication and performance (for the first time since 1867) of his only symphony.
Edvard Grieg: The Man and the Artist sets the Norwegian composer's life and career in the context of his times and casts new light on the origin and musical significance of many of his composi-tions. As in the original edition, the text is accompanied by a parallel column of primary materials—documents and musical examples—and is lavishly illustrated. Both scholars and general readers will revel in this musical feast.
