Grieg's final period of piano music, including his settings of Norwegian folk music, showcases a fusion of advanced chromaticism and modality with a free use of dissonance.
Critical Reception
Grieg's 'Valses-Caprices', Op. 37, are among his least known works and have been considered by some in his native land to lack his personal melodic style, though foreign scholars find them attractive.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Grieg considered the world of harmony his 'dream world' and found that the 'murky depth' in Norwegian folk music lay in its unrealized harmonic possibilities.
Composition History
Grieg's 'Holberg Suite' Op. 40, a very personal pastiche of 18th-century dances, was originally written for piano in 1884 and later arranged for string orchestra.
Cultural Impact
Grieg's original contributions to harmony and his impulses to Debussy's impressionism and Bartók's use of folk music are now more widely recognized.
Composition History
Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16, earned him world renown as one of the most frequently performed romantic piano concertos.
Composer Biography
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) is recognized as the foremost music composer in the Nordic countries, particularly for his piano works.
You might also enjoy...
Grieg: Piano Music, Vol. 3
Kjell Bækkelund Spiller Grieg
Grieg: Solo Piano Music, Vol. 2
The Russian Piano Tradition: Alexander Goldenweiser (1952-1953)
