Edvard Grieg

[jlaurson]

latest on ionarts:

Dip Your Ears, No. 212 (Alice Sara in Wonderland)

[jlaurson]

So much terrific stuff in this box, and I'm only getting to some of it now!


#morninglistening to #offthebeatenpath #Grieg w/@bergenfilharmon on #BISRecords

#orchestr... http://ift.tt/2bCuoLf

[Zeus]

I quite like Grieg, especially the small-scale stuff.

For Lyric Pieces, I currently have Hideyo Harada on Audite:



I think it's fantastic, but it's my only set (and I am slow to acquire more than I can regularly play).  I am debating whether or not to get the Stephen Hough album which came out recently.

[asin] B00UART0U4[/asin]

Any thoughts on either of these versions, and/or how they compare to the super-cheap and complete Austbo set on Brilliant?

Thanks.

[The new erato]

Yesterday we had 30 hrs of non stop Grieg (his complete works) on one of Norways 3 public radio channels an also on one of the public TV channels, performed live from various studios, involving 600 musicians, on the occasion of his 175th birthday.

[snyprrr]

Debussy... Chopin... to Scriabin (too much),... backpedal,... land on Grieg.


All I have is that wonderful Jarvi disc with 'Holberg' et al...


Is it time to listen to the Gilels? Where do I start?

[Brian]

I quite like Grieg, especially the small-scale stuff.

For Lyric Pieces, I currently have Hideyo Harada on Audite:

I think it's fantastic, but it's my only set (and I am slow to acquire more than I can regularly play).  I am debating whether or not to get the Stephen Hough album which came out recently.

Any thoughts on either of these versions, and/or how they compare to the super-cheap and complete Austbo set on Brilliant?

Thanks.

I don't have either but am seriously considering the Hough set, too. Austbo is superb, a complete set of more or less unending delights. He captures the varying moods - well, they don't vary much! Poetry or swagger - so well. The other recitals I tend toward are very personal ones where a pianist chooses their favorites and plays them with a great sense of intimacy, as if you're in their living room and they are sharing secrets. Emil Gilels is the classic example and his performances have aged splendidly. More recently, Edward Rosser's recital is very difficult to find but utterly magical if you can find it - he relearned piano technique from Step 1 in middle age especially to achieve the sort of ethereal poetic touch you will hear on the album. (I wrote about it for MusicWeb a few years ago.)

I am interested in Heidi Kommerell's recital on MDG, for which she uses an 1820s fortepiano. Just acquired Alexey Zuev's disc using an 1840s piano and while the timbre of the instrument is interesting, he has a tendency to slowness and aren't-I-pretty indulgence.

[SonicMan46]

TTT after nearly 4 years!    Up to Grieg in my quite 'selective' perusal of my collection - starting w/ the Ruud box and picked just 3 discs for a listen (the usual suspects), and then will go on to my Pompa-Baldi (I own 10 of the 11 CDs be recorded) in the Lyric Pieces; finally for today will end up w/ the Piano Concerto recordings, the old standard w/ Kovacevich and newer one with Andsnes - do I need both, or any more recent ones of interest to consider? 

But please 'jump in' if there have been some newer recordings - I know there are a bunch of orchestral and piano boxes - the ones I own are fine but I've not added to Edvard's works in a long while - attached is a screen capture from my database (click to enlarge, if interested) - own about 2 dozen CDs and could certainly add/cull (no song suggestions please, just me -  ) - Dave

     

[Mirror Image]

Grieg Orchestral Box Set Blowout!



First, let me say that we're incredibly fortunate to have such an array of Grieg's orchestral music at our disposal. This kind of thing would've been unthinkable 30 years ago. Anyway, I own all of these sets and haven't done extensive side-by-side comparisons, but which set is your favorite and why? Also, who do you feel brings the most fascinating interpretative insights into this music?

[Symphonic Addict]

I have the Naxos and DG ones and I'm thoroughly happy with them.

[Roasted Swan]

Grieg Orchestral Box Set Blowout!



First, let me say that we're incredibly fortunate to have such an array of Grieg's orchestral music at our disposal. This kind of thing would've been unthinkable 30 years ago. Anyway, I own all of these sets and haven't done extensive side-by-side comparisons, but which set is your favorite and why? Also, who do you feel brings the most fascinating interpretative insights into this music?

The BIS set - best combination of "completeness", idiomatic and brilliant playing, very fine engineering mainly in SACD sound.  But NONE of these sets are poor in the slightest.  The Naxos set is very impressive too.  Jarvi is good and I enjoyed it before the competition appeared but by that measure it is not as good.  The Audite set is also good - well played and good sound but the actual couplings are a bit odd and it is the least complete set

[Mirror Image]

I have the Naxos and DG ones and I'm thoroughly happy with them.

I own them all and I'm quite happy, too.

The BIS set - best combination of "completeness", idiomatic and brilliant playing, very fine engineering mainly in SACD sound.  But NONE of these sets are poor in the slightest.  The Naxos set is very impressive too.  Jarvi is good and I enjoyed it before the competition appeared but by that measure it is not as good.  The Audite set is also good - well played and good sound but the actual couplings are a bit odd and it is the least complete set

Very much agree with your opinion and, yes, the Aadland on Audite is the least complete of them, but this doesn't deter me from giving it a thumbs up in terms of performance and audio quality.

[Roasted Swan]

I own them all and I'm quite happy, too.

Very much agree with your opinion and, yes, the Aadland on Audite is the least complete of them, but this doesn't deter me from giving it a thumbs up in terms of performance and audio quality.

Yes absolutely - for those happy with moderate bit rate downloads at a genuinely modest price, a very large chunk of the BIS/Ruud performances are hiding here underneath this uninspiring title and "cover";

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004RE263Y/ref=dm_rwp_pur_lnd_albm_pm

[Mirror Image]

Yes absolutely - for those happy with moderate bit rate downloads at a genuinely modest price, a very large chunk of the BIS/Ruud performances are hiding here underneath this uninspiring title and "cover";

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004RE263Y/ref=dm_rwp_pur_lnd_albm_pm

But for $50 (the price on Presto Classical right now), one can buy the physical copy of the Ruud set and have superior fidelity. The problem with low bitrates, especially something like 256 kbps mp3 is they aren't sonically satisfying because a lot of the information is lost. A lot of the information is cut out.

[DavidW]

Yes absolutely - for those happy with moderate bit rate downloads at a genuinely modest price, a very large chunk of the BIS/Ruud performances are hiding here underneath this uninspiring title and "cover";

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004RE263Y/ref=dm_rwp_pur_lnd_albm_pm

That looks good for getting the toes wet if you don't stream.

[Roasted Swan]

But for $50 (the price on Presto Classical right now), one can buy the physical copy of the Ruud set and have superior fidelity. The problem with low bitrates, especially something like 256 kbps mp3 is they aren't sonically satisfying because a lot of the information is lost. A lot of the information is cut out.

I bet the download is cheaper in the US - here its £7.99 - a LOT cheaper than the $50 you quote.  Of course low bit rates are not as good as SACD sound but you pays your money as they say.....  As it happens I have both formats - I bought the download, enjoyed it so much I upgraded to the SACD's.  Without a shadow of a doubt you are right but the download is still very good if money is tight or Grieg is not a must buy composer.

[DavidW]

I once bought Glazunov's complete symphonies for a song that way.  If it wasn't for such a sweet deal, I never would have listened to Glazunov!  This was before streaming was good.

[Mirror Image]

I bet the download is cheaper in the US - here its £7.99 - a LOT cheaper than the $50 you quote.  Of course low bit rates are not as good as SACD sound but you pays your money as they say.....  As it happens I have both formats - I bought the download, enjoyed it so much I upgraded to the SACD's.  Without a shadow of a doubt you are right but the download is still very good if money is tight or Grieg is not a must buy composer.

If it gets someone's feet wet and they get hooked on the composer, then they can go for the sonic upgrade. I agree with you.

[kyjo]

Over 400 pages for Havergal Brian, only 4 for Grieg?? Huh?? GMG is truly an alternate reality!

Anyway, I love much of Grieg's music, above all his String Quartet in G minor, Cello Sonata, and Holberg Suite. I find the marriage of fiery passion and folksiness in the chamber works to be irresistible, as is the gloriously Romanticized Baroquerie of the suite.

[Mirror Image]

Over 400 pages for Havergal Brian, only 4 for Grieg?? Huh?? GMG is truly an alternate reality!

Anyway, I love much of Grieg's music, above all his String Quartet in G minor, Cello Sonata, and Holberg Suite. I find the marriage of fiery passion and folksiness in the chamber works to be irresistible, as is the gloriously Romanticized Baroquerie of the suite.

Well, when you're as great as Grieg, the greatness doesn't need to be elaborated upon that much. I love each of those works you mentioned, but I still say you should listen to the Lyric Pieces.

[kyjo]

Well, when you're as great as Grieg, the greatness doesn't need to be elaborated upon that much. I love each of those works you mentioned, but I still say you should listen to the Lyric Pieces.

Good point. For people to prove that Havergal Brian is great, they have to do a bunch of explaining and mental gymnastics. With Grieg, it's not necessary - the music speaks for itself.

And yes, I'll get around to those Lyric Pieces!