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Mad Men Playlist:

“In the Hall of the Mountain King”, composed by Edward Grieg, performed by the Sussex Symphony Orchestra

You guys know this one. That soft beginning ramping up to a cacophony of stomping brass! This is a truly awesome composition, by which I mean it evokes total fear. It was composed by Grieg for Henrik Ibsen’s play Peer Gynt, and this particular opus accompanies Peer’s escape from the Mountain King’s castle, pursued by his many minions. The theme begins softly to describe Peer’s soft and careful footsteps, and is then contrasted with the theme of the King’s trolls looking for him. When the two themes collide, the music hits its loud peak as the chase begins. Timpani rolls conclude the piece as the mountain collapses, and Peer has successfully escaped.

WHO is the Mountain King in Mad Men, you ask? And WHO is Peer? This little opus gets a whole episode named after it in season 2, the episode where Don visits Anna and decides to return to Betty. Is Don Peer, trying to escape from the frightening Mountain King’s castle in Ossining? Or is Don the Mountain King, a member of a race depicted in the play to be concerned primarily with self-interest? Or is Don the Boyg, a creature who, when asked, “Who are you?”, responds with “Myself.”?

All very interesting!

• footnote - by Natasha Simons

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    without thinking about Peter Lorre whistling...creepy-ass movie.

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    my dog whenever I want her...get all riled up.

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