Fra Holbergs Tid

Ludvig Holberg was a founding figure of Norwegian literature, and on the 200th anniversary of his birth in 1884, a string of musical tributes was written in his honour. Edvard Grieg’s Fra Holbergs Tid (From Holberg’s Time), a piece in five short movements lasting 20 minutes, was one of them. The Holberg Suite, as it is also called, was originally written for piano, although the version Grieg made for string orchestra is more familiar to most listeners. The Suite uses dance forms from Holberg’s own period, the Baroque, as its model. In the opening “Praeludium”, Grieg effectively pits an elegant melody in the violins above a busily thrumming accompaniment. To the stately tread of the “Sarabande”, he adds a sweetly poignant tune first heard on second violins and then enriched by the other instruments. The lightly traipsing “Gavotte” harbours a playful, drone-effect “Musette” at its centre. At six minutes, the sombre “Air” is the Suite’s longest movement. Its heartfelt introspection contrasts strongly with the bustling “Rigaudon” finale, where a solo violin and viola sparklingly duet together. Grieg’s panoramic Peer Gynt is undoubtedly painted on a broader orchestral canvas, but the catchy melodies and sharp string writing of the Holberg Suite make it a perennial audience favourite.