Grieg's String Quartet No. 2 remained unfinished during his lifetime, with only two movements and some sketches completed by his death in 1907.
Notable Performances
The unfinished String Quartet No. 2 had a special 'premiere' at the home of Grieg's friend Julius Röntgen, featuring pianist Harold Bauer on first violin and cellist Pablo Casals on second violin.
Compositional Technique
Grieg's String Quartet No. 1 uses a cyclic melodic idea, building all four movements on the melody of his Ibsen song 'Spillemaend' ('Minstrel', Op 25 No 1).
Composer Biography
Edvard Grieg, the composer, moved to Hardanger with his wife Nina in 1877 after busy years of teaching and conducting in Oslo.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Grieg defended the 'unorthodox richness of texture' and 'orchestral' sound of his String Quartet No. 1, stating it aimed for 'breadth, to soar, and above all at a vigorous sound'.
Critical Reception
Upon hearing Grieg's String Quartet No. 1, Franz Liszt declared it a 'distinctive and admirable work' that greatly intrigued him.
Interpretation
Levon Chilingirian of the Chilingirian Quartet re-edited the first two movements and created performing versions of the third and fourth movements of Grieg's String Quartet No. 2 from the composer's sketches.
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