Peer Gynt , Suite No.

1
4. In the Hall of the Mountain King
 GRIEG Peer Gynt , Suite No.1

Peer Gynt is a Norwegian fairy tale and was used as inspiration for Henrik Ibsen’s play Peer
Gynt.

Ibsen asked composer, Edvard Grieg to write music for his play. He did this and created 26
movements to accompany the play.

Grieg then selected some of the movements and created two suites of music. Each suite
has four movements.

Suite No. 1 Movements:

1. Morning Mood
2. The Death of Ase
3. Anitra’s Dance
4. In the Hall of the Mountain King

Suite: A Suite is an instrumental piece consisting of several shorter pieces.

 Program Music

Program music is a style of composition which describes a literary idea, legend, description
of landscape, a scene or a story about people, places or relationships.

This style of writing became popular in the Romantic era 1780 – 1910, and is still used in
modern compositions.

In the Hall of the Mountain King tells a story through music. The listener can imagine the
story.

Other example of program music:

DUKAS The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. This music was used in Disney’s movie Fantasia.

KETELBY In a Persian Market

Program Music: Music that tells a story.

 In the Hall of the Mountain King

Imagine:
The music begins slowly and softly.
Peer Gynt enters the Mountain King’s Royal Hall.
The music is getting louder and faster.
As Peer Gynt gets closer there is a large crowd and the Mountain King is sitting on his
throne. The Kings wants Peer Gynt to marry his daughter but to do this he must become a
troll.
The music is playing very fast and loud.
Peer Gynt refuses, the crowd roars and chases him. Peer Gynt runs faster and faster and is
almost captured but at the last moment he hears the church bells, he follows the sound
and escapes.
Very loud chords complete the movement.
The trolls all disappear within the mountain and the mountain collapses.

LISTEN and WATCH

YouTube Video: In the Hall of the Mountain King
 In the Hall of the Mountain King – The beginning

The French horn begins with a single note.

The unusual sound is made by placing the right hand well inside the bell so almost no
sound comes out. This is called a stopped note.

In the music, the sign to play a note stopped is a + above the note.

Pause or fermata. Hold the note longer.

Common time.
4 beats per bar

French Horn: The French Horn is a member of the Brass Family.

 The Beginning

Listen to the opening where the melody is played by the low sounding instruments – celli,
double basses and bassoons.

The music begins very softly and slowly. Like a march and very marked

Pizz (pizzicato): Pluck the

strings with the fingers
Tempo is 138 beats per minute

p piano play softly

Bass Clef: Clef used by low sounding instruments.

The lines from bottom to top are G,B,D,F,A. The Spaces are A,C,E,G
 BASSOON

The bassoon is the largest and lowest sounding instrument in the

woodwind family. The bassoon is made of wood. Metal keys cover the
holes along the instrument.

The mouthpiece is made of a metal pipe called the crook and a

double reed.

A reed is made of a piece of bamboo or cane. The cane is carved and

shaped with a very sharp knife until the cane is very thin. A clarinet
uses a single reed and when attached to the mouthpiece and blown
the reed vibrates and creates a sound.

The oboe and bassoon use a double reed which is two pieces of cane
tied together. Both pieces of cane vibrate when air passes through
them.

Contra Bassoon is also a double reed instrument and larger than the bassoon.
 Melody

Gradually more instruments join in the repeated melody.

Violins and violas, partnering with oboe and clarinet now

play the melody at a higher pitch.
accent

Stringed Instrument technique. There are different ways of making

sounds on the violin, viola, cello and double bass.
Pizzicato: Pluck the strings with the fingers instead of using the bow.
Arco: Draw the bow across the strings to make them vibrate.
 Accompaniment patterns

The accompaniment is made up of three rhythmic patterns. Different combinations of

instruments take turns playing chords on these rhythmic patterns.

Rhythm 1 C l l l l l l l l l :ll

Rhythm 2 C Z l Z l l Z l Z l :ll

Rhythm 3 C l Z Z Z l l Z Z Z :ll

The instruments take turns at the melody and the accompaniment during the piece. Listen
for these rhythmic patterns and identify which instruments are playing the melody and
which are playing the accompaniment.

Treble Clef: Clef used by high sounding instruments.

The lines from bottom to top are E,G,B,D,F. The Spaces are F,A,C,E.
 The Ending

The last seven bars of the music has no melody. All instruments play chords to this
rhythmic pattern. Note the two bars of rests.
Timpani roll for 8 beats

ff

fortissimo ff very loud Soft p very soft Get louder and louder over 7 beats Finish very, very loud

Clap or play the rhythm on a percussion instrument.

Count 9 beats before playing the last bar.

Cymbals are a percussion instrument.

The Italian name for cymbals is piatti, which translates as plates.
 Timpani

ff

During the two bars of rests, the only instrument to play is the timpani. The timpani plays
a roll which is the rapid alternating of the beaters to make a continuous sound.

The timpani roll starts piano (p) soft and crescendos to fortississimo (fff) very, very loud.
The whole orchestra plays the last chord.

Timpani are a set of drums and are members of the percussion family.
A skin is stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper.
 Dynamics and tempo

Tempo and dynamics are very important in In the Hall of the Mountain King.
The piece starts slowly and softly and gradually increases in volume and speed until the
end when the piece finishes very fast and very loud.

Dynamics Tempo
pp piano soft Largo very slow
mp mezzo piano moderately soft Lento slow
mf mezzo forte moderately loud Adagio slow, at ease
f forte loud Andante at an easy walking pace
ff fortissimo very loud Moderato at a moderate speed
fff fortississimo very, very loud Allegro lively and fast
Vivace quick and lively
Crescendo gradually getting louder Presto very fast
Decrescendo gradually getting softer Prestissimo very, very fast

Dynamics: The level of sound in a piece of music

Tempo: The speed at which a piece of music is played.
 Australian Curriculum – Music
Elements of Foundation Years Years Years Years
Music to Year 2 3 and 4 5 and 6 7 and 8 9 and 10
Beat and rhythm Tempo changes Compound metre Time signature Regular and irregular
Rhythm Fast/slow ostinato Rhythmic devices - time subdivision
Long/short anacrusis, triplet, duplet
syncopation, ties and motif, augmentation/
pause diminution
High/low Pentatonic patterns Major scales Minor scales Tonal centres,
Pitch Pitch direction Melodic shape Pitch sequences, Key and key signatures Modulation
Pitch matching Intervals arpeggio, riff, Major/minor chords Consonance/ dissonance
Unison Treble clef and staff Bass clef Ledger lines Chromaticism

Forte, piano Dynamic gradations Staccato, legato Dynamic gradations Rubato, vibrato,
Dynamics & pp to ff accent Articulations relevant ornamentation
Expression Legato & staccato to style

Introduction Question & answer Theme, motif Repetition and Motivic development
Form and Same/different, echo Repeat signs Phrase contrast Sonata form
Structure patterns, repetition
Verse, chorus, round
Binary (AB) form
Ternary (ABA) form
Rondo (ABACA) form
Ostinato
Theme and Variation
Verse chorus, bridge
Interlude, cadenza
Improvisation

How sound is produced Recognise orchestral Acoustic and Identify instruments

Timbre Every voice and instruments by sound electronic sounds by name and sound
instrument has its own in isolations and in Voice and Recognise production
sound combination instrument types instrumental groups
Melody Patterns occurring Contrast within Layers of sound and Horizontal/vertical
Texture Accompaniment simultaneously layers of sound their role. Unison, layers
Drone homo/polyphonic countermelody
Creating sounds using
Creating voice and instruments

Playing instruments in Rhythms Playing and reading Sing and play in two or
Performing groups melodic and more parts
rhythmic excerpts

Moving to beat and Respond to the stories Historical context Awareness of

Responding rhythms ensemble