This thesis examines the content and reception of Ibsen's Peer Gynt. Chapter I begins with a summary of Ibsen's life and influences, placing Ibsen and his plays into a historical context. Chapter II is a detailed explication of .Peer Gynt, which illustrates the correlation between Ibsen's biography and Peer's life, the extensive use of Nordic folklore and the philosophy of Kierkegaard, Goethe, and Hegel. These issues and ideas are examined in order to create a theory of Ibsen's intended message to the public. In chapter III the immediate reception of Peer Gynt in Scandinavia is discussed, as well as the extended reception of Peer Gynt in Germany. This demonstrates the difference in the critics' reception, in relation to their time period, culture, and translation. The nationalistic German Dietrich Eckart is an extreme example of how a trusted translator of Peer Gynt produced a falsified translation of the dramatic poem, which he used to promote an ideal specific to his time period and culture, thus illustrating how a falsified translation can affect the interpretation and criticism of a text. The thesis concludes by demonstrating how important translation is as a factor in the critical reception of a text.

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) is the representative of Norway Nationalism composer in the nineteenth century. His compositions consist of orchestral pieces, concertos, piano pieces and songs. Most of his works use Norwegian folksong. He promoted Norwegian folksong throughout his creative career. In 1874, Grieg collaborated with the playwright, Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906), in Ibsen¡¦s new play ¡§Peer Gynt¡¨ (1874-1876). The play contains twenty-three incidental music. Few years later (1888 & 1892), Grieg chose and rearranged eight popular pieces of ¡§Peer Gynt,¡¨ and separated them into two suites. This thesis is divided into two sections, excluding the introduction and conclusion. The first section discusses the biography of Grieg and Ibsen, and the correlation of their lives and background of the ¡§Peer Gynt.¡¨ The second section analyzes the form and characteristics of eight pieces from ¡¥Peer Gynt¡¦ Suites No. 1 and 2, and it also discusses the interpretation from a conductor¡¦s viewpoint. Examples are also provided in the discussion.

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