Edvard Grieg, The statue

Few people have put Bergen on the musical world map like Edvard Grieg. He was born in 1843, and grew up in these and the nearby streets. Grieg took an early interest in music and his mother taught him to play the piano when he was only 5 years old. As a nine-year-old, he gradually began to compose, and several works from his youth can be found in his collections. The talent was caught by the violin virtuoso Ole Bull, who encouraged Edvard Grieg to study music in Germany. Grieg is considered to be a national romantic composer, with Norwegian folk music as an important source of inspiration. "Morning mood" and the other pieces from the "Peer Gynt suite" are the most famous compositions in addition to the "Concerto in A minor". The concert halls were crowded when he gave his concerts, and he received standing ovations around the world with his lyrical pieces. In 1867, Edvard married his cousin, Nina Hagerup, and they built a house outside Bergen, on what became known as "Troldhaugen", and it was Edvard Grieg's home for the last 22 years of his life. The house is today a museum and the furnishings in the living rooms are Grieg's own from his death in 1907.