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.
Norway's most famous composer, dedicated his career to
the pursuit of a national sound. The respect he had for
his predecessors illustrates the sincerity with which
he worked towards this goal. He wrote in the Romantic
tradition with, in his own words, the determination to
"create a national form of music, which could give the
Norwegian people an identity."
As a miniaturist, Grieg was a master. In particular,
some of his most characteristic work can be found in
the ten volumes of Lyric Pieces for piano. These short,
attractive gems reveal a strong national flavor,
combining the mildly chromatic style of
nineteenth-century salon pieces with elements of
Norwegian folk music. They are also relatively easy to
play, being tuneful and rather accessible in style.
Such a winning combination delighted the public and
publisher alike, and almost singlehandedly assured
Grieg a comfortable old age.
Book One, Op. 12 opens with a delicate "Arietta," a
cantabile melody accompanied by rippling arpeggios
divided between the two hands. Subsequent sections
include a "Waltz," characterized by a recurring
stacatto passage; "The Watchman's Song," an
unpretentious theme presented in repeated two-bar
cells, surrounding a faster, more propulsive middle
section; a lilting "Fairy Dance"; a mazurka-like "Folk
Tune"; a vigorous "Norwegian Melody," which contains a
deep, drone pedal point; "Album Leaf;" and "National
Song."
Although originally composed for Piano, I created this
Interpretation of the Arietta from Lyric Pieces (Book 1
Op. 12 No. 1) for String Quartet (2 Violins, Viola &
Cello).
PARTITION