Saturday 6th July 2013 +1hr BST Bergen, Norway: A Magical Day at Troll Hill

‘Trodhaugen’ (Meaning Troll Hill) was the home of Edvard Grieg and the destination of my shore tour this morning and what a magical time it proved to be.   I was familiar with some of Grieg’s music such as the Peer Gynt Suite, the music that he was asked to compose by Henrik Ibsen to accompany his play and which includes “In the Hall of the Mountain King” but I was not aware that Grieg is widely considered to be one of the leading Romantic era composers.  His lyrical melodies were expertly performed by a leading Norwegian pianist in a 30-minute concert, as part of this visit, performed in a purpose built concert hall, Troldsalen, which was completed in 1985. It is an elegant and beautiful concert hall, with excellent acoustics and a turf roof that blends so well into the lush surroundings – chains stretching from the eaves to the ground drain the water from the roof. The floor-to-ceiling windows behind the stage provide the audience with a stunning view of the composer's hut and the lake beyond (See photo).

Grieg had the hut built in 1891 to get away from the house, the constant stream of visitors and the noise from the kitchen that interrupted the absolute quiet Grieg that he needed and so he could be alone with his musical ideas. Grieg went down to his hut every day, locked himself in and tried his best to work. He was easily distracted, however, so an unfamiliar sound or a boat rowing on the lake was enough to break his concentration. Our guide told us that when he left the hut at the end of his working day, or leaving Troldhaugen, he left a hand-written note on his desk:"If anyone should break in here, please leave the musical scores, since they have no value to anyone except Edvard Grieg” (See http://griegmuseum.no/en/about-troldhaugen )
After the short concert I went down the steep gully from the concert hall to the hut and looked out over the lake. The feeling of tranquillity and inspiration was quite overwhelming and I can see why Grieg was so easily distracted by this truly magical spot.