Grieg: Piano Sonata in E minor, Op. 7; Peer Gynt, Suite No. 1, Op. 46; Ballade in G minor, Op. 24; Scenes of Country life, Op. 19
10/8/2021, 12 Tracks, 1:05:02
Featuring
Sheng Cai
Edvard Grieg
Did you know?
1/7
Composer's Artistic Vision
Grieg named his villa Troldhaugen (The Hill of the Trolls) in homage to the malevolent giants of Scandinavian legend.
Composer Biography
Grieg trained at the Leipzig Conservatory, founded by Felix Mendelssohn in the same year Grieg was born, and pursued an international career before settling in his native Bergen.
Compositional Technique
Unlike Chopin's narrative ballades, Grieg's Ballade in G minor, Op. 24, is a theme and 14 variations on a Norwegian mountain melody, originally a 16th-century German love song.
Composer Biography
Edvard Grieg, the most famous Norwegian composer, lived during a period that led to Norway's independence in 1905, after centuries under Danish and Swedish rule.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded at the Isabel Bader Center in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, on December 8 and 9, 2020.
Composition History
Grieg composed his Ballade in G minor, Op. 24, during a period of personal crisis and grief over the death of his parents, stating he wrote it 'with my life's blood in days of sorrow and despair.'
Performer Biography
Canadian pianist Sheng Cai, described as 'the most electrifying soloist of the 2017 season,' has performed with over 20 orchestras and in prestigious venues across North America and China.
