Composed as incidental music for Henrik Ibsen's play of the same name, Edvard Grieg's Suite No. 1 from Peer Gynt features four memorable movements drawn from his original 23-piece score. Though initially reluctant to undertake the project, Grieg created iconic melodies that stand independent of the play's narrative. The suite takes listeners from the serene "Morning Mood" (depicting sunrise in Morocco) through the poignant "Åse's Death," the exotic "Anitra's Dance," and concludes with the famous "In the Hall of the Mountain King," which builds a simple theme to a thrilling climax as trolls chase the protagonist from their kingdom.

Conductor Thomas Søndergård led the Minnesota Orchestra in this performance on January 17, 2025.