This Saturday marks the 200th anniversary of Norway's Declaration of Independence (it is not the 200th anniversary of Norway's actual independence — that didn't happen until 1905).
There's a strong classical music element in this political history. Composer Edvard Grieg was involved in the journey for Norway's independence in significant ways. I interviewed Dr. William Halverson, a former professor at Augsburg College and at Ohio State University. Halverson was also appointed Knight First Class of the Royal Order of Merit by King Harald of Norway "for his contribution to the furtherance of Norwegian culture in the USA and particularly for his superb translation of Norwegian song texts and of Norwegian literature about music, which as a result has been made better known, especially in the USA". Here's what Halverson had to say:
"Grieg's professional life coincided almost exactly with the Norwegian drive for independence. He was born in 1843, by the time he came back from Leipzig, in 1863, I think it was, it was becoming a pretty hot-button issue in Norway. And as the years went by, it became more and more intense. Around the turn of the century, extremely intense. And it eventually led, as I'm sure you know, to Norwegian independence from Sweden in 1905.
"Grieg, first of all, was simply an involved citizen. He kept up to date on current affairs. And in his letters there are many, many references to the issue. As the drive for independence became more and more intense, there were really two main views in Norway, there were those who said, 'We're gonna have to fight for our independence.' So there was the war party. And there were those who said, 'It makes no sense for us to fight for our independence. We would simply be shedding blood for no purpose, because Sweden really has the military power, and we don't.' Grieg, therefore, was with those who preferred negotiation. And he wrote many passionate letters about that.
"[Grieg] played two direct roles in the struggle. As a well-known composer, he felt that he could be an ambassador for Norway to Sweden, a figurative ambassador, a spokesperson for Norway. And he made a trip to Sweden. He was invited to give a series of concerts there. And he did so. A serious of four concerts. He was very well received. They had always loved his music. And they were very gracious to him. This was in 1896.
"After the third concert, [Grieg's Swedish hosts] had a big banquet in [Grieg's] honor. And there were many kind things were said. Grieg stood up and gave an impromptu speech. And it was quite a good speech. It was reported in the press, so we, we have it. As he himself tells the story, he said he 'somehow found the words … to tell them how much we admired Sweden and their magnificent language, and their culture.' And he made an appeal for friendship between the two countries. Now what impact did it have? Who knows? But at least it was a direct involvement in the issue.
"[Grieg's] second direct involvement was actually during the negotiations following Norway's declaration of independence on June 7, 1905. And it was not at all clear whether the result would be they would declare war, or if they would come to a negotiated settlement. The summer of 1905 was fraught with tension for that very reason. Everybody was on edge. Grieg knew personally both Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany, and the King of England. He wrote identical letters to them, appealing for them to intercede on behalf of peace. Now, whether they did so, whether his letter had any impact, we don't know. But it was, at least, his attempt to play a role, to use his personal friendship with these two monarchs to have some influence on the negotiations."
There are several Syttende Mai observations throughout the region this weekend, including ones hosted by the Mindekirken Church in Minneapolis; by the community of Spring Grove, Minn.; and by the Sons of Norway in Bemidji, Minn., to name a few.
If you'd like to learn more about Grieg's involvement in Norwegian independence and to hear some of the music that came out of that era, revisit my Learning to Listen episode from Monday, "Edvard Grieg and Norway's Fight for Independence."
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