I'm Norwegian.  Well, half-Norwegian, half-Swedish, and all-American.  But my roots are in Scandinavia-- great grandparents emigrated here late in the 19th century.  

I myself have never been there, but have heard Viking stories (scary!) and some of the Norse fairy tales (even more scary). Have seen pictures of the fiords, and other majestic scenery.  And I have enjoyed listening to the sounds of Edvard Grieg, the Norwegian composer.  His Morning Song is a favorite for me, ever since playing its melody with my very first piano lessons. 

Edvard used Norwegian folk tunes as part of many of his compositions.  He wanted to share Norse culture and music with the world, and was a type of musical "ambassador" for his country.

In 1874 (my ancestors were still in Norway then) he wrote orchestral music for a play, Peer Gynt.  This music included "Morning" and another very well-known piece, "In the Hall of the Mountain King."

This was before movies, but if it had been a film, the Mountain King piece would have been an escape scene soundtrack.  The play's protagonist is trying to get away from his pursuers, and away from the Mountain King's castle. When you listen, you'll hear that the melody gets faster and faster as he makes his getaway (in the story, he does escape).

I WAS going to just include one video link here-- I found a really amazing version of "In the Hall of the Mountain King," played by guitarist and luthier Keith Medley on his handbuilt harp guitar (yes, a harp guitar-- there are 27 strings on this one).  BUT-- there is also a very fun piano rendition of this same song; the performer, James Rhodes, says it is the Jimi Hendrix version.  No way could I leave this awesome piano virtuoso performance out! You will really get the feel of the intensity of the chase when you see and hear this one. 

Here are the two videos: Keith Medley - harp guitar

         James Rhodes - piano virtuoso

What do you think of these videos?  Do you have some favorite Edvard Grieg songs?

John Field, an early 19th century Irish pianist, invented the term "Nocturne," meaning a "night piece."  He wrote 18 of these. 

Then Frederic Chopin came on the scene, and wrote 21 more.  Chopin, a Polish composer, wrote many short piano works that are hauntingly beautiful.  Some are called nocturnes, some are preludes, ballades, waltzes, and mazurkas. "Mazurka" comes from the Mazurs- a country folk living near Warsaw.  It was the name of a
popular local dance form.

I have a collection of simplified piano pieces by Chopin, and have enjoyed playing many of them-- recently have been memorizing a piece that is a section from Ballade number one.  And my son
is starting to learn Mazurka Op. 33 no. 3.

Thought you might enjoy hearing a sampling of Chopin pieces through two Vimeo videos:

First, filmed by Syuji Honda in New York City, is Chopin "Nocturne":
http://vimeo.com/19915047
This one features a classical guitarist (even though written for piano, it sounds great on guitar,
too!) playing in a HUGE, fabulously ornate hall-- and he is all by himself in the center of a circular rug.  Very interesting to see his surroundings while you are listening. 

The second video is a
short art film that has won several awards-- Chopin's Mazurka B Major op. 41 no. 3 is played and it appears that the stop-action animation that accompanies the music was created to follow the rhythms-- using snow on the ground as a canvas, and what looks like black charcoal (but is really asphalt and ink) as the paint. This work was created by Kuba Maria Mazurkiewicz: http://vimeo.com/10947861