Edvard Grieg

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Poor Grieg, a thread with two (now three) pages! Come on, he's not that bad...

[Mirror Image]

Do any of you guys own any of these recordings?

[Cross-posted from the 'Purchases' thread]

[Brian]

I don't own the Aadland set, but I have heard most of it. I do own the Engeset and Ruud sets. The truth is, Grieg's orchestral music with very few exceptions (Tveitt's orchestration of the Ballade; the Symphony in C minor) is so straightforwardly attractive and so gratifying for the performers that there are few, if any, bad performances. All three cycles are, on the whole, enthusiastic and vividly colorful, and if I occasionally do have a particular favorite (e.g. Engeset's Old Norwegian Romance), it's not really reason to throw the rival recordings away.

There's a lot of overlooked stuff you'll love, like Landkjenning. One comment - Schuch's piano concerto is more of the slow, "integrity" (i.e. less flashy) style of pianism. I do like having Andsnes and/or Gimse for a more extrovert contrast.

[Mirror Image]

I don't own the Aadland set, but I have heard most of it. I do own the Engeset and Ruud sets. The truth is, Grieg's orchestral music with very few exceptions (Tveitt's orchestration of the Ballade; the Symphony in C minor) is so straightforwardly attractive and so gratifying for the performers that there are few, if any, bad performances. All three cycles are, on the whole, enthusiastic and vividly colorful, and if I occasionally do have a particular favorite (e.g. Engeset's Old Norwegian Romance), it's not really reason to throw the rival recordings away.

There's a lot of overlooked stuff you'll love, like Landkjenning. One comment - Schuch's piano concerto is more of the slow, "integrity" (i.e. less flashy) style of pianism. I do like having Andsnes and/or Gimse for a more extrovert contrast.

I own the Ruud, Neeme Jarvi, part of the Engeset set, and now the Aadland. I guess I like this music just a little. Yes, there's some really hidden gems in these sets like those gorgeous orchestral songs that seem to not get the kind of attention they deserve. I do like Jarvi's set a lot as he seems to give the music a bit more of an edge and given your history with this conductor I'd say stay away. But I'm not one of those Jarvi bashers. I think he's done some good work. I'll have to see what I'm missing from Engeset's series.

[Mirror Image]

Poor Grieg, a thread with two (now three) pages! Come on, he's not that bad...

He's an incredible composer and it is a bit baffling. Perhaps his music is in decline a bit? I certainly won't claim that he's in decline with me! I've been having a reawakening. I don't know why I've neglected him for so long. I suppose one reason for getting back into his music stems from my recent 'mini-obsession' with Dvorak. These folk-influenced composers are really some of my favorites as there's always such an earthiness and rustic quality to their music, but what's nice with composers like Dvorak and Grieg is the fact that they were more than capable of stepping outside of their comfort zones on numerous occasions.

[Jo498]

Grieg is a composer (and he is in very good company) with a fairly small number of "smash hits" that largely outshine the rest of the oeuvre.
In Grieg's case it is mainly the piano concerto and the Peer Gynt music and while I have not heard e.g. the (early) symphony I am not sure that it is really unfair that those are far more popular than most of the rest. He is a very good composer of Lieder and piano pieces as well but such small scale pieces often have it hard against warhorses and there are also often too many of them, so again a few hits put the rest not quite justifiedly in the shade.

[28Orot]

If I see it right there is no thread about Edward Grieg? And there are allot threads about composers I don't even know.

Yesterday I listened again to Edward Grieg. I know Edward Grieg since my youth as he es quite popular with certain works like his piano concerto ( often coupled with the Schumann concerto) or his Peer Gynt suites. But there is certainly allot more.

As I said yesterday I listened to Grieg, pieces for orchestra, a 2 CD box with Abravanel and his Utah symphony orchestra. Well not all of these pieces are first class music but there is allot to discover beyond Peer Gynt. I enjoyed really most of it.

I am not sure wether I should watch out for more ( there is a big Brilliant box) but I would like to know which works of Grieg you like or even love. I am anyhow in my heart a deep romantic so I wonder why I haven't explored more works of Edward Grieg.

And he may have had his weaknesses, but very often this is music of real substance.

Anybody who likes Grieg too?

Regards
Martin

Grieg was an OK composer, studied in Mendelssohn:s Leipzig conservatory, many accused him of been influenced strongly by Schumann and his repeated A minor motifs.
Grieg has written some beautiful melodies, lyrical, and fascinating, things like the second movement of the piano concerto and the peer gynt suites come in mind, but his piano sonatas are a bunch of ramblings. He has no place in the top 10 composers of all time, but certainly he was an important romantic composers that had produced some decent high quality masterpieces...

[Mirror Image]

Grieg was an OK composer, studied in Mendelssohn:s Leipzig conservatory, many accused him of been influenced strongly by Schumann and his repeated A minor motifs.
Grieg has written some beautiful melodies, lyrical, and fascinating, things like the second movement of the piano concerto and the peer gynt suites come in mind, but his piano sonatas are a bunch of ramblings. He has no place in the top 10 composers of all time, but certainly he was an important romantic composers that had produced some decent high quality masterpieces...

We sholdn't limit Grieg to the Piano Concerto and Peer Gynt Suites (as great as they are). The complete Peer Gynt is a masterpiece and is the work that needs to be heard more often than the suites and then there's an onslaught of other masterpieces that clearly haven't been given careful listening. His place amongst other composers is dependent on your placement and inclination towards his music. If you think he was merely 'OK,' then it's obvious that he'll never crack your 'Top 10' or heck even your 'Top 40'. In other words, it's subjective. I wouldn't place him along with anyone because I think he's a singular figure that struck out on his own and developed a unique synthesis of Germanic and Norwegian musical styles. When I think of Grieg, I think of a quiet man churning out one lonely, haunting melody after another deep from within a mountain. This is music of the Earth, but, yet, at the same time, there's something more transcendental found here that goes well beyond the surface of the music. Anyone who just knows the 'greatest hits' is certainly missing out big time. A major composer and when compared to his peers, he stands out like a sore thumb. Nobody sounds like him.

[28Orot]

We sholdn't limit Grieg to the Piano Concerto and Peer Gynt Suites (as great as they are). The complete Peer Gynt is a masterpiece and is the work that needs to be heard more often than the suites and then there's an onslaught of other masterpieces that clearly haven't been given careful listening. His place amongst other composers is dependent on your placement and inclination towards his music. If you think he was merely 'OK,' then it's obvious that he'll never crack your 'Top 10' or heck even your 'Top 40'. In other words, it's subjective. I wouldn't place him along with anyone because I think he's a singular figure that struck out on his own and developed a unique synthesis of Germanic and Norwegian musical styles. When I think of Grieg, I think of a quiet man carving one melody after another deep within a mountain. This is music of the Earth, but, yet, at the same time, there's something more transcendental found here that goes well beyond the surface of the music. Anyone who just knows the 'greatest hits' are certainly missing out big time. A major composer and when compared to his peers, he stands out like a sore thumb. Nobody sounds like him.

I didn't limit it to those two...
Well yes its subjective... you have over a billion people saying that Justine Bieber is their top composer/musician... means nothing of course.

[Mirror Image]

Here's some cool photos of Grieg I've found from various sources (some photos I've edited to make them stand out a bit more):

[Florestan]

Artists like Bach and Beethoven erected churches and temples on the heights. I only wanted to build dwellings for men in which they might feel happy and at home.

I am sure my music has a taste of codfish in it.

I have the following boxes of Grieg's music:




(complete piano works, complete songs and complete chamber music)


It is only the first that I have listened to from the first to the last disc. 

[Mirror Image]

Very nice, Florestan. What do you think of that Brilliant Classics set of chamber music? Are the performances good?

[Florestan]

Very nice, Florestan. What do you think of that Brilliant Classics set of chamber music? Are the performances good?

Believe me or not, I can't remember the last time I listened to them, if ever.   

I will listen again soon and report back. 

[Florestan]

(Cross post from WAYLT.)

Just finished this:



Four Songs op.15
Three Songs from Peer Gynt op. 23
Six Songs on Poems by Holger Drachmann op. 49
Six Songs on Poems by Vilhelm Krah op. 60

First volume in a series of seven. Splendid, musically, performance-wise and sonically. The booklet includes the original poems as well as  full English and German translations. Highly recommended for lovers of Lieder.

I can hardly wait listening to the next volume --- scheduled for tonight.

[Jaakko Keskinen]

Grieg is a composer (and he is in very good company) with a fairly small number of "smash hits" that largely outshine the rest of the oeuvre.
In Grieg's case it is mainly the piano concerto and the Peer Gynt music and while I have not heard e.g. the (early) symphony I am not sure that it is really unfair that those are far more popular than most of the rest. He is a very good composer of Lieder and piano pieces as well but such small scale pieces often have it hard against warhorses and there are also often too many of them, so again a few hits put the rest not quite justifiedly in the shade.

Have you listened to violin sonata no. 3? It is a masterpiece.

[TheGSMoeller]

Aase´s Death with the spoken dialogue between Peer and his dying mother literally brought tears in my eyes.

Is there a recording with the spoken dialogue included? I love the music from Grieg's Gynt, and would love to hear it with the dialogue.

I left this in the Purchased Today thread, but thought it might get lost, so I'm reposting here. Wanted to know if there is a rec for a full-incidental music including dialogue for Peer Gynt?

[Florestan]

Is there a recording with the spoken dialogue included? I love the music from Grieg's Gynt, and would love to hear it with the dialogue.

I left this in the Purchased Today thread, but thought it might get lost, so I'm reposting here. Wanted to know if there is a rec for a full-incidental music including dialogue for Peer Gynt?

This is the one I have:

[TheGSMoeller]

This is the one I have:

Thanks, buddy!

[Florestan]

Thanks, buddy!

You''re welcome! If you manage to hear the whole thing please let me know what you think.

[TheGSMoeller]

You''re welcome! If you manage to hear the whole thing please let me know what you think.

Found the Peer Gynt performance from this set on Spotify, 8 tracks in I went straight to Amazon and ordered it! Just what I was looking for. Thanks, again!
It reminded me of some other great works/recordings with spoken dialogue, Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream, Mozart's Magic Flute, and Weill's Threepenny Opera. Made it up to Act III, want to wait until I get the CD and get a complete run through.

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