Composer Edvard Grieg, the icon of Norwegian music,
left his home in Bergen, Norway to study at the
conservatory in Leipzig. There he began his formal
musical education under the auspices of Ignaz Moscheles
(piano) and Carl Reinecke (composition). While in
school, the young composer saw the premiere of his
first work, his String Quartet in D minor, performed in
Karlshamn, Sweden. Despite being diagnosed with a form
of tuberculosis, which left him with only one
functioning lung, Grieg graduated f...(+)
Composer Edvard Grieg, the icon of Norwegian music,
left his home in Bergen, Norway to study at the
conservatory in Leipzig. There he began his formal
musical education under the auspices of Ignaz Moscheles
(piano) and Carl Reinecke (composition). While in
school, the young composer saw the premiere of his
first work, his String Quartet in D minor, performed in
Karlshamn, Sweden. Despite being diagnosed with a form
of tuberculosis, which left him with only one
functioning lung, Grieg graduated from the conservatory
in 1862. The composer had an intense desire to develop
a national style of composition, but recognized the
importance of becoming well versed in the work of the
European masters, and consequently relocated to
Copenhagen, studying with Niels Gade. He was thus able
to remain in Scandanavia, while working in a thriving
cultural center. In 1867 against his family's better
judgment, Grieg married his cousin Nina Hagerup, a
talented pianist, but whose vocal abilities enchanted
the composer even more. Shortly after their wedding,
the couple moved to Oslo, where Grieg supported them by
teaching piano and conducting. He and his wife traveled
extensively throughout Europe and it was during a
period of time spent in Denmark, the composer wrote his
landmark opus, the Piano Concerto in A minor. The
premiere was given in 1869, with Edmund Neupert as the
soloist. The piece was received with an enthusiasm that
would attach itself to the composer's reputation for
the remainder of his career. In the period between 1877
- 1880, Grieg produced a set of songs as his Op. 33 on
texts by a man some called the peasant-poet of Norway,
Aasmund Vinje (1818 - 1870). The composer had been
greatly inspired by the then-late poet's verses, so
much so that after completing the set, he decided to
arrange two of its songs for string orchestra, this one
The Last Spring and The Wounded Heart. He made piano
versions of them as well. The Last Spring is a sad
piece, but sad in the heart-on-sleeve sense of
Tchaikovsky, not in the dark, neurotic manner of
Mahler. In the song version, the text tells of a dying
man who is aware he is observing his last spring. The
main theme in the instrumental versions is nostalgic
and features considerable expressive depth, especially
considering Grieg's penchant for lightness of mood even
in melancholy works. It has an air of resignation about
it, but as it struggles on, its manner sweetens a bit,
nearly suggesting hope. Still, these brighter moments
are only fleeting, as the music remains largely dark
and anguished. The piano version is perhaps a bit
bleaker, but also less lyrical than the warmer string
orchestra account.
The Holberg Suite, Op. 40, more properly "From
Holberg's Time" (Norwegian: Fra Holbergs tid, German:
Aus Holbergs Zeit), subtitled "Suite in olden style"
(Norwegian: Suite i gammel stil, German: Suite im alten
Stil), is a suite of five movements based on eighteenth
century dance forms, written by Edvard Grieg in 1884 to
celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of
Dano-Norwegian humanist playwright Ludvig Holberg. It
exemplifies nineteenth century music which makes use of
musical styles and forms from the preceding
century.
The Holberg Suite was originally composed for the
piano, but a year later was adapted by Grieg himself
for string orchestra. The suite consists of an
introduction and a set of dances. It is an early essay
in neoclassicism, an attempt to echo as much as was
known in Grieg's time of the music of Holberg's era.
Although it is not as famous as Grieg's incidental
music from Peer Gynt, which is itself usually performed
as arranged in a pair of suites, many critics regard
the works as of equal merit.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holberg_Suite ).
Although originally created for Solo Piano, I created
this Interpretation of the Praeludium (Movement 1 -
Allegro vivace) for Classical Guitar.
SHEET MUSIC