Roy Ellefsen inquires of "Mr. Know-It-All"

>I'm doing this piece with my college musica appreciation class.  I have
>always assumed that it is programatic, but none of the books I have give
>the program, nor does the CD insert.  Does anyone out there know what is
>being described?

This hall is actually a reindeer tent.  The so-called Mountain King headed
a rebel force.  The story goes back to the 19th century when Norway began
to build refrigerators.  These workers were cutting ice for the ships that
carried King Olaf's sardines around the world.  When Norge built a
refrigerator factory in Bergen, they lost their jobs.  They threatened to
bring down the government in what was then called Christiana.  They had
help from San Marino, acting for the Vatican.  Part of their reform was
to return Norway to the Roman Catholic faith.

Per Gynt is the hero, a lapsed minister of the Protestant Church and one of
the world's great cross country skiers in the mountain town.  He gathered
up the local farmers who massacred the heretics at the battle of Tandberg,
which is a record event in Norwegian history.  Ibsen used the play to
attack the Catholic church's unwillingness to ordain women as priests.
With the passage of time, the theme lost its meaning.  Today Norwegians
sleep late on Sunday morning.

Leaf Ericksen XVIII
Professor of Mid-Nineteenth Century Northern Norwegian History
University of Oslo Overseas Campus
Winnimucca, NV.

A/K/A Andrew Carlan