“Chopin of the North,” they called him. That’s quite a title for Edvard Grieg. Here we stand before 47 Clapham Common North Side. It bears a blue plaque commemorating the Norwegian composer’s stay.
Edvard Grieg was a sensation in London. This was especially true during the late 19th century. He graced the city with his performances many times. Grieg chose a residence near Clapham Common as his base.
Born in Bergen, Norway, Grieg rose to fame. He became Norway’s leading composer. His Piano Concerto in A Minor and Peer Gynt music are iconic. Grieg’s compositions drew inspiration from Norwegian folk songs.
English audiences adored Grieg. Throughout the 1880s and 1890s he often conducted and performed. His London debut was at St James’s Hall in 1888. Concerts were sell-outs. Royalty attended his recitals. The Prince and Princess of Wales were among his admirers. Grieg even played for Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle. Later, he and his wife Nina performed for King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra at Buckingham Palace.
During London visits, Grieg lodged with his publisher George Augener. Augener’s home was at 47 Clapham Common North Side. The house was once known as 5 The Cedars. This grand house was built in 1860. James Thomas Knowles junior designed it in French Renaissance style. The Norwegian flag flew proudly when Grieg was in residence.
Clapham became Grieg’s “home from home”. He rehearsed, relaxed and entertained guests here. Sir George Grove, the music dictionary compiler visited him often. Grieg enjoyed tram rides from Clapham to the West End.
A Pall Mall Gazette journalist interviewed Grieg in 1889. The composer and his wife enjoyed peaceful interludes between triumphs. In total, Grieg spent nearly five months at North Side. His final London performance occurred at Buckingham Palace in 1906.
Grieg’s music captivated the British Isles. He regularly visited from the mid-1880s onward. Besides London, his tours took him to Manchester, Cheltenham, Brighton and Edinburgh. Oxford and Cambridge universities awarded him honorary doctorates.
Upon his death in 1907, Grieg was a global icon. Norway honored him with a state funeral.
This plaque is more than ceramic. It marks where Edvard Grieg felt at home while sharing his genius with London.