Grieg wrote the Holberg Suite in 1884 to celebrate the 200th birthday of the Danish poet and playwright Ludvig Holberg (1684-1754). Composed of five movements (1. Prelude, 2. Sarabande, 3. Gavotte, 4. Air, 5. Rigaudon), the suite is inspired by Baroque dance forms. It was originally written for solo piano and due to its immediate success, Grieg wrote a version for string orchestra. The Prelude seems to be paying homage to Handel in its exhilarating drive, clean form, and captivating melody. This piece requires very light fingers in the right hand to keep up with the fast broken chords.