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
Somewhere I have Jarvi's set of complete music with Orchestra.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51UCX3Z2SkL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Mostly I find it a good cure for insomnia.
Well, maybe the 2 CDs with Abravanel are really enough. I am not a great friend of Järvi anyhow, I don't like his Mahler 8th and I don't like his Martinu. But "cure of insomnia" - no. There is one weak piece in the Abravanel, this ouverture Opus 11 - all the other works I enjoyed.
Quote from: Martin Lind on November 09, 2010, 08:35:47 AM
Well, maybe the 2 CDs with Abravanel are really enough. I am not a great friend of Järvi anyhow, I don't like his Mahler 8th and I don't like his Martinu. But "cure of insomnia" - no. There is one weak piece in the Abravanel, this ouverture Opus 11 - all the other works I enjoyed.
I'm sure there is ~2CD worth of stuff I could like in the 6CD set. There are so many little miniatures and sentimental little Norwegian rhapsodies, etc, that are just not my thing.
Quote from: Scarpia on November 09, 2010, 08:19:40 AM
Somewhere I have Jarvi's set of complete music with Orchestra.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51UCX3Z2SkL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510vKTIdwVL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Mostly I find it a good cure for insomnia.
Well, just to join in on the discussion, my orchestral box set (added above) is w/
Ruud & the Bergen PO - listing of the works HERE (http://www.amazon.com/Grieg-Complete-Orchestral-Music-Box/dp/B001A8HU0O/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1289324536&sr=1-1), for those interested; does not seem to work for me as a 'sleeping aid' - ;) ;D
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/517Hx5iEbqL.jpg)
And what about this? I read in the Amazon review that the BIS set should be better than Brilliant. But what about the other works like the lyric pieces for piano, the chamber music ( shouldn't be bad) and the songs?
Regards
MArtin
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_7_aZpQb7lKM/SKVARfzH2zI/AAAAAAAAAg8/nDtcFsGBCmw/s320/CoverFront.jpg)
By the way I ordered a Grieg CD just now. A CD with songs with Anne Sophie von Otter. Should be very fine, is under the 100 indispensable records of Grammonphon. Astonishingly affordable, I payed 6 Euros and something. So this is something I am looking forward to.
Regards
Martin
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FK7YSJTHL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
My favorite Grieg is the exquisite Symphonic Dances. This Berglund recording is excellent. I prefer it to the Rozhdestvensky on Chandos.
I could easily assemble a several disk collection of Grieg. I have always been quite fond of his 3 violin sonatas (especially the 3rd) and the cello sonata, as well as the string quartet and Quartettsatz. Throw in the indispensable piano concerto, the Peer Gynt Suites, the Holberg Suite and many of the Lyric Pieces, and you have a treat of several hours length. :)
8)
----------------
Now playing:
Freiburger Barockorchester - Bach JCF BRC43 Concerto grosso in Eb 2nd mvmt - Romanza
Quote from: Martin Lind on November 09, 2010, 07:49:04 AMAnd there are allot threads about composers I don't even know.
Sounds like you've got a lot of homework to do. :D
I really enjoy Grieg's music, not all of it of course. I still enjoy Peer Gynt and the Piano Concerto, but I also enjoy Holberg Suite, his only Symphony, In Autumn, the Norwegian Dances, among others. I seldom listen him anymore, but he has composed some great, highly enjoyable music.
Debussy called his music "iced bon-bons" & that kind of aptly describes some of his works - miniatures with a Nordic feel. Whenever he got into the larger symphonic forms he ended up sounding a bit like other people; he truly found his voice in smaller scale works like the Lyric Pieces for piano and the chamber music. Of course, pieces like Peer Gynt, the Piano Concerto and the Holberg Suite are often performed in concert halls across the world and will ensure that his music will never be forgotten.
& good to see that you are getting into Grieg's songs, because they are some of his best works. Many of them were in fact written for his wife, who was a fine soprano of the day. I would second the violin sonatas, which have a homely, domestic feel (Grieg said something to the effect that he didn't want to build vast cathedrals like J.S. Bach, but simple homes in which people could comfortably dwell)...
Quote from: Sid on November 09, 2010, 08:51:00 PM
Debussy called his music "iced bon-bons"...
...which also is a cunning description of some of his own piano music, as well.
Of the Grieg I own, I own many recordings of his Piano Concerto, I also many seperate recordings with his various orchestral works like Symphony or Peer Gynt Suites. I own both the BIS set with Ruud and also the Jarvi set on DG, but I also own the Naxos series with Engeset conducting the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and the Malmo Symphony Orchstra on the other recordings.
One of my favorite Grieg recordings is actually of Peer Gynt with Yuri Temirkanov conducting the Royal Philharmonic on RCA Red Library. This is an outstanding recording in great audio and one I return to quite often.
If there's a premier Grieg recording, it might be Karajan's highly regarded Peer Gynt, recorded for Decca with the Wiener Philharmoniker.
(http://www.karajan.co.uk/images/ep34.jpg)
A while back I was trying to sort out and increase my collection of Grieg's Solo Piano Music, and then was side-tracked to other composers - since that time a number of boxes have appeared (few shown below).
Currently, I own the Lyric Suites w/ Austbo and 3 Naxos discs w/ Einar Steen-Nökleberg; so 'how many' discs of his solo piano pieces are needed and what are some of the most desirable works? I do like the Lyric Suites and Austbo's performance, but many others have recorded them - :D
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Dave, I replied to that post in the Listening Thread, but that thread is a place where posts easily get lost. Here is a repost:
Since you already have the Lyric Pieces, I would suggest just hunting out individual volumes of the Naxos set. The piano Holberg Suite is an absolute must-have (Vol 4), and if you like the Lyric Pieces, you might like the Norwegian Melodies, which span 3 CDs (Vols 5-7). They really are JUST the melodies, some less than a minute each, so one disc may be enough! I'm pretty sure Brilliant didn't record those, but they're interesting, and Steen-Nokleberg plays piano, organ, and clavichord on some tunes. Some less mandatory attractions are the Sonata (Vol 1), the Elegiac Melodies including the famous "Last Spring" (Vol 13), and a passing curiosity which has actually been posted on YouTube, Steen-Nokleberg's recording of the haunting fragmentary sketches for Grieg's Piano Concerto No 2. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBU4GgfXaRA)
I have ordered now the string quartetts from Naxos. I listened to them at youtube with the Oslo string quartett and loved it so I ordered this CD. I also ordered the big Brilliantbox. 21 CDs for 20 Euros - I couldn't resist. So together with my Abravanel, the songs with Otter and Naxos I will have a good Grieg collection in some time but will be open for some things which are maybe better than Brilliant.
Regards
Martin
My Grieg has now arrived. The big box from Brilliant Classics, the string quartetts with the Oslo Quartett and a CD songs from Otter from Deutsche Grammophon. Haven't heard the Otter yet but the recordings of the songs from Brilliant, former Victoria from Norway, are very fine, especially the soprano. I think I have heard the first song CD now 8 times or more, it's simply lovely. The orchestral pieces are also very fine but not the piano concerto. I doubt though that Hakon Austbö with the lyric pieces is very fine, so I may come back to your recommendations, like Gilels or Gieseking.
Regards
Martin
I've been intrigued by the smatterings of Slåtter on Thomas Ades' multi-composer recital disc. Any good recommendations for the complete set?
Op. 72 is my favorite Grieg these days. Such a fascinating sound to them. Your best bets for a complete set are Steen-Nokleberg on Naxos or Pompa-Baldi on Centaur. I'll caution that most or all of the pieces are in the key of D (with characteristic modal sharp "4"), so it can be fatiguing to listen straight through. Still, these are two strong renditions, you might choose between them based on the pairings each disc offers.
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There's an older set by Steen-Nokleberg that pairs each piece with a performance of the traditional tune on hardanger fiddle. OP I think, but you could hunt for it. Two recent sets adopt the same idea. Ingfrid Breie Nyhus & Åshild Breie Nyhus on Simax is a complete set, but Ingrid's piano performances are rather insipid and low-energy. Her soft notes don't always speak, and her loud notes never rise above forte. Geir Botnen, Knut Hamre, and Reidun Horvei, also on Simax offer much stronger piano performances (courtesy of Botnen), but they only cover around a half dozen of the Op. 72 pieces. The disc is filled out with selections from the Op. 66 Folk Songs for piano. The "songs" are paired with Horvei's marvelously clear-voiced singing of traditional versions, the "dances" with Hamre's renditions on hardanger fiddle (and in some cases Horvei offers a sung version of the dance tunes). This is a good choice if you don't need a complete set.
EDIT - Happily I was wrong, and the Steen-Nokleberg complete set of Op. 72 pieces paired with (Knut Buen's) fiddle performances is still available (e.g. here (http://www.classicsonline.com/catalogue/product.aspx?pid=643140)). On the Simax label (notice a pattern here?). So this gets promoted to top recommendation.
Thanks--that's a most useful survey!
Quote from: PaulSC on December 16, 2010, 09:24:25 PM
Op. 72 is my favorite Grieg these days. Such a fascinating sound to them. Your best bets for a complete set are Steen-Nokleberg on Naxos or Pompa-Baldi on Centaur. I'll caution that most or all of the pieces are in the key of D (with characteristic modal sharp "4"), so it can be fatiguing to listen straight through. Still, these are two strong renditions, you might choose between them based on the pairings each disc offers.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ca1-UGBTL._SL500_AA280_.jpg)
I have that disc - I quite like it (I have volumes 1-4). I keep waffling on the lyric pieces though, between the partial Gilels and the complete Steen-Nokleberg. I fear I will just get them both in the end. :)
If you like the Holberg Suite on piano as I do you will also enjoy Backer-Grøndahl's G minor Suite, Opus 20, which is on a recording by Geir Henning Braaten. See my new thread on Backer-Grøndahl.
A link for lazy people like me: Agathe Backer-Grøndahl (http://www.good-music-guide.com/community/index.php/topic,17708.0.html)
Quote from: PaulSC on December 16, 2010, 09:24:25 PM
Op. 72 is my favorite Grieg these days. Such a fascinating sound to them. Your best bets for a complete set are Steen-Nokleberg on Naxos or .Pompa-Baldi on Centaur.......
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ca1-UGBTL._SL500_AA280_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Qe9Q7m-dL._SL500_AA280_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51bA6ewoEZL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Paul - I love
Grieg - of his piano works, I own first 3 volumes of
Steen-Nokleberg, and believe that a FULL set has been released; also have
Austbo in the 'Lyric Suites' which I enjoy; I've not even explore the
Pompa-Baldi on Centaur offerings - so will be interested in further posts on this topic - :D
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51krDU54CTL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
An additional recommendation for his quartet (the so-called "Number 2" is just an unfinished torso). For Grieg, it is remarkably lacking in timidness - the opening movement is wonderfully rustic and and craggy. My preferred recording is the one above, but the CPO recording is fine too.
Seeing those DG covers prompted me to post my favorite Grieg disc:
(http://www.mdt.co.uk/public/pictures/products/standard/4776326.jpg)
He was a master of small forms, and with a few exceptions (The Peer Gynt music) I consider his songs along with some of the piano music his best music.
Quote from: SonicMan46 on November 11, 2010, 04:49:13 AM
A while back I was trying to sort out and increase my collection of Grieg's Solo Piano Music, and then was side-tracked to other composers - since that time a number of boxes have appeared (few shown below).
Currently, I own the Lyric Suites w/ Austbo and 3 Naxos discs w/ Einar Steen-Nökleberg; so 'how many' discs of his solo piano pieces are needed and what are some of the most desirable works? I do like the Lyric Suites and Austbo's performance, but many others have recorded them - :D
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/411Wp8VYRxL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61w5xDy9exL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41kXhssLnTL._SL500_AA300_.jpg) (http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41zho0NzykL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)
Not sure if there is a
Grieg thread just devoted to his piano works but this one has a lot of discussion on these works - above are some options for more 'complete' collections that I've been considering for a while, the performers from left to right are:
Håkon Austbø, Eva Knardahl, Einar Steen-Nökleberg, & Antonio Pompa-Baldi - some of these are now offered as 'box sets' - Pompa-Baldi is on Centaur but seems like separate CD offerings @ the moment - preferences and comments?
WELL, my main reason for bringing this topic up now is that I just returned from a Winston-Salem Symphony concert (my local band!) which featured
Antonio Pompa-Baldi in the
Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1 w/ our associate conductor;
Pompa-Baldi was excellent and performed an encore of a
Debussy Prelude; the latter suggested to me that he would likely handle
Grieg's piano pieces quite well but I've not heard his performances in these works (and Centaur does not seem to be offering a 'box set' @ present) - :-\
SO, for one liking
Grieg on piano and owning the
Lyric Suites w/ Håkon Austbø & only 3 discs of
Einar Steen-Nökleberg, WHO do go to for a more COMPLETE collection? Comments & suggestions appreciated - thanks - Dave
The Wall Street Journal has an article on Grieg's piano work Opus 22:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324556304578121422902096456.html?mod=ITP_review_0 (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324556304578121422902096456.html?mod=ITP_review_0)
An excerpt:
...Nowhere, however, does Grieg bare so much of his soul as in his monumental "Ballade in the Form of Variations on a Norwegian Folksong," written for his beloved instrument, the piano. This is Grieg's greatest work for the piano, and it is as visionary as it is elusive: It has still failed to enter into the mainstream of the piano repertoire. There have always been pianists who have championed this work, and they have always been the greats: Eugene D'Albert, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Percy Grainger, Leopold Godowsky, Artur Rubinstein. None has been able to move this work from the fringe, and perhaps that's where it prefers to stay, for those who have the heart to go and find it, most recently Grieg's countryman Leif Ove Andsnes....
Grieg works the four variations of the finale into a frenzy that drives performers to the edge of their abilities as they try to match the intensity Grieg calls for. Finally, at the last moment, just as it seems as if piano and pianist can take no more, Grieg brings the motion to a halt on a low ringing bass octave, which clears away for the return of the opening theme. But now, when we hear it, it is different, for we are not the same anymore. We have heard Grieg's Ballade, and we know what he meant when he said he wrote it "with my life's blood in days of sorrow and despair."
Though a concert pianist himself, Grieg never played his Ballade in public...
Quote from: Cato on December 02, 2012, 12:21:02 PM
The Wall Street Journal has an article on Grieg's piano work Opus 22:
Actually it's op. 24. :)
Hakon Austbo does a great job with it.
A couple of posts above this one, I was asking about complete collections of Grieg's Piano Music, and pictured 4 sets - I was quite interested in the recordings on Centaur by Antonio Pompa-Baldi who I had seen in concert recently. For those who may in interested, I contacted Mr. Pompa-Baldi and we had a number of pleasant email exchanges - he also contacted Centaur about whether these (now 12 discs w/ the Piano Concerto) would be released in a box @ a reduced price (e.g. presently selling for $18 each at Arkiv!); he also gave me a contact there and the bottom line was NO box in the immediate future (if ever); however, I was offered a reduced price of $12 per CD if I purchased the dozen discs - well w/ S/H that would be about $150 - I already have 6 CDs of these works by other performers, so not interested @ that price.
But, could I obtain at least some of these cheaper? So went to BRO and found the 3 below for $6 each; also the Amazon MP had a few @ $7 (of course w/ the additional $3 S/H) - just finished a first listen to the three recordings - excellent, as I expected - for those who do not have the 'Violin Sonatas' and shop @ BRO, a strong recommendation - Dave :)
(http://giradman.smugmug.com/Other/Classical-Music/i-fNPZTcG/0/S/Grieg_PianoV7-S.jpg) (http://giradman.smugmug.com/Other/Classical-Music/i-nVk9skW/0/S/Grieg_PianoV8-S.jpg) (http://giradman.smugmug.com/Other/Classical-Music/i-BQKbkvv/0/S/Grieg_PianoV11-S.jpg)
I have the Jarvi/DG disc of Grieg drool-inducers (Holberg Suite, Lyric Pieces...) at the ready. It's 95°. Play now or wait till dusk????
Quote from: snyprrr on July 17, 2013, 11:47:31 AM
I have the Jarvi/DG disc of Grieg drool-inducers (Holberg Suite, Lyric Pieces...) at the ready. It's 95°. Play now or wait till dusk????
Well, only 2 Pages for Grieg. How embarrassing.
Sooomeone better Reply to the Grieg Thread!! >:D SHOCKING!! :o
Quote from: Cato on December 02, 2012, 12:21:02 PM
The Wall Street Journal has an article on Grieg's piano work Opus 22:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324556304578121422902096456.html?mod=ITP_review_0 (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324556304578121422902096456.html?mod=ITP_review_0)
An excerpt:
...Nowhere, however, does Grieg bare so much of his soul as in his monumental "Ballade in the Form of Variations on a Norwegian Folksong," written for his beloved instrument, the piano. This is Grieg's greatest work for the piano, and it is as visionary as it is elusive: It has still failed to enter into the mainstream of the piano repertoire. There have always been pianists who have championed this work, and they have always been the greats: Eugene D'Albert, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Percy Grainger, Leopold Godowsky, Artur Rubinstein. None has been able to move this work from the fringe, and perhaps that's where it prefers to stay, for those who have the heart to go and find it, most recently Grieg's countryman Leif Ove Andsnes....
Grieg works the four variations of the finale into a frenzy that drives performers to the edge of their abilities as they try to match the intensity Grieg calls for. Finally, at the last moment, just as it seems as if piano and pianist can take no more, Grieg brings the motion to a halt on a low ringing bass octave, which clears away for the return of the opening theme. But now, when we hear it, it is different, for we are not the same anymore. We have heard Grieg's Ballade, and we know what he meant when he said he wrote it "with my life's blood in days of sorrow and despair."
Though a concert pianist himself, Grieg never played his Ballade in public...
Did Rachmaninov record it? I've never heard the D'Albert either, is it on a CD? Is it any good? I think I enjoy Austbø most of all in this.
The other Grieg I remember enjoying was the all Grieg concert Richter gave in Budapest, his final concert maybe - or was that a Mozart concerto concert with PC 18 and Beshai?
I've never enjoyed anything by Andsnes, who just seems to me to be a virtuoso pianist with zero to say. If that.
Anyway in the right hands op 24 and a selection of Lyric Pieces can hit the spot.
Three questions about some chamber music items/editions:
1. Are there any remastering/sound differences between these two editions of Von Otter's Grieg recital?
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512kZ3EaX-L.jpg)(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51p96eb-7hL.jpg)
(1993/2007)
2. Has anyone heard the recordings that comprise both of the little Brilliant 'Complete Chamber Music' sets? Are either of them very good throughout? Do you prefer one over the other? (There seems to be no overlap between the two.)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51V15W989ML.jpg)(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51mIWqxtwjL.jpg)
(2004/2013)
3. Any recommendations for some other recordings would be appreciated. I think I am most interested in songs and chamber music. I will probably need some more piano music: I know almost nothing of the latter aside from bits here and there....a couple volumes of the Steen-Nokleberg series, the famous Gilels disc, and I will probably be following some of Paul's recommendations above.
Grieg: Peer Gynt Suites 1 & 2, Op. 46 & 55
Berliner Philharmoniker/Karajan
It doesn't seem like Grieg is getting much love here at GMG :'( [I hear you Snyprrr!]. I guess that his piano concerto and Peer Gynt Suite are the only pieces that are commonly encountered in the repertoire apart from some of his solo piano pieces (e.g. Lyric Pieces). I kind of grew up with the music from Peer Gynt so it was a pleasure to revisit this recording. I actually listened to it in association with my family's solstice celebration yesterday. As kids we used to dance around to In the Hall of the Mountain King. It kind of reminds me of a fairy tale version of Ravel's Bolero. Our teachers used to play Aase's Death in the classroom to showcase composers and so on. Today I feel great warmth from listening to these pieces and I sense a very strong connection to some of Sibelius's works. I feel as if Karajan and the BP certainly give Grieg justice with a powerful and vivid performance in great sound. Perhaps too much on the heroic side, but it does fit the music very well. An excellent recording!
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Nice as the suites are I think that they do not do justice to the piece they are extracted from (similar to Nutcracker and Swanlake). Peer Gynt is much more interesting with the choir and the whole incidental music.
Because someone above asked for lieder and chamber music. I have not heard the Brilliant set but the Otter disc is one of the best things she recorded and if you care at all about 19th century lieder you should get it (no idea about the remastering as it is a fairly recent recording anyway I do not expect big differences, I own the newer issue).
DG also has a very nice recording of the violin sonatas (Dumay) that is recommendable. I think Heifetz played one of them, also Oistrakh but these are more or less historical sound quality and all 3 sonatas are worth listening to. The cello sonata is also nice, and of course the g minor string quartet; there is another quartet fragment that has also been completed by other musicians. But the g minor is a rather weighty piece and there are quite a few recordings.
The early piano sonata is rather forgettable; a more interesting piece is the so-called Ballade which is actually a series of variations; Rubinstein recorded that one, together with a bunch of lyrical pieces. Gilels' DG anthology of the lyric pieces is also essential.
Quote from: Moonfish on June 22, 2015, 01:23:40 PM
[asin] B00000E2LF[/asin]
This is a super-fine recording (and - off-topic - my absolute favourite rendition of the Sibelius Pelléas et Mélisande, thrillingly officiated by Karajan). Glad you discovered it.
Poor Grieg, a thread with two (now three) pages! Come on, he's not that bad...
Do any of you guys own any of these recordings?
[Cross-posted from the 'Purchases' thread]
Quote from: Mirror Image on June 05, 2016, 12:43:57 PM
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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.
Quote from: Brian on June 05, 2016, 07:02:58 PM
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.
Quote from: Alberich on November 05, 2015, 05:19:43 AM
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.
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.
Quote from: Martin Lind on November 09, 2010, 07:49:04 AM
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...
Quote from: 28Orot on June 06, 2016, 09:38:53 AM
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.
Quote from: Mirror Image on June 06, 2016, 10:01:29 AM
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.
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):
Quote from: Edvard GriegArtists 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:
(https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41Sx%2BXjmWIL._SY355_.jpg)
(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/090/MI0001090190.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510vKTIdwVL._SY355_.jpg)
(http://resources.wimpmusic.com/images/6b81cf30/aaa7/49de/a000/92b0c262ad2c/1280x1280.jpg) (complete piano works, complete songs and complete chamber music)
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61w5xDy9exL.jpg)
It is only the first that I have listened to from the first to the last disc. :)
Very nice, Florestan. 8) What do you think of that Brilliant Classics set of chamber music? Are the performances good?
Quote from: Mirror Image on June 06, 2016, 10:41:34 AM
Very nice, Florestan. 8) 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. :laugh:
I will listen again soon and report back.
(Cross post from WAYLT.)
Just finished this:
(http://is4.mzstatic.com/image/thumb/Music/v4/66/08/83/66088381-c7b9-1fab-b36c-bc1276af9e07/source/1200x630bf.jpg)
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.
Quote from: Jo498 on June 06, 2016, 09:26:34 AM
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.
QuoteQuote from: Florestan on August 25, 2016, 04:26:15 AM
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?
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on August 28, 2016, 09:36:32 AM
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:
(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/171/MI0001171111.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)
Quote from: Florestan on August 29, 2016, 01:41:13 AM
This is the one I have:
(http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/171/MI0001171111.jpg?partner=allrovi.com)
Thanks, buddy!
Quote from: TheGSMoeller on August 29, 2016, 02:27:18 AM
Thanks, buddy!
You''re welcome! If you manage to hear the whole thing please let me know what you think.
Quote from: Florestan on August 29, 2016, 02:30:15 AM
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.
[asin]B0009UBSQG[/asin]
latest on ionarts:
Dip Your Ears, No. 212 (Alice Sara in Wonderland)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CrIvUclWgAAt8Mj.jpg) (http://ionarts.blogspot.com/2016/08/dip-your-ears-no-212-sara-alice-in.html)
So much terrific stuff in this box, and I'm only getting to some of it now!
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CrHW5ikWgAAW_Yq.jpg)
#morninglistening to #offthebeatenpath #Grieg w/@bergenfilharmon on #BISRecords
#orchestr... http://ift.tt/2bCuoLf (http://amzn.to/2bAZh7g)
I quite like Grieg, especially the small-scale stuff.
For Lyric Pieces, I currently have Hideyo Harada on Audite:
(https://images.shazam.com/coverart/t67907316-b289338616_s400.jpg)
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.
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.
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?
Quote from: Bubbles on June 15, 2018, 07:20:45 PM
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 (http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2016/Aug/Grieg_lyric_CD4276.htm).)
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.
TTT after nearly 4 years! :laugh: 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 - :laugh:) - Dave :)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/510vKTIdwVL.jpg) (https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51hDRQOQ96L.jpg) (https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/517Bn3JAg5L.jpg) (https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71LEPcvEvVL._SL1200_.jpg)
Grieg Orchestral Box Set Blowout!
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/510vKTIdwVL.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71WJD0UCcHL._SL1200_.jpg)(https://i.ndcd.net/13/Item/500/220288.jpg)(https://storage.highresaudio.com/2019/09/30/dp29d6-griegcompl-preview-m3.jpg)
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?
I have the Naxos and DG ones and I'm thoroughly happy with them.
Quote from: Mirror Image on April 21, 2022, 07:50:36 AM
Grieg Orchestral Box Set Blowout!
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/510vKTIdwVL.jpg)(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71WJD0UCcHL._SL1200_.jpg)(https://i.ndcd.net/13/Item/500/220288.jpg)(https://storage.highresaudio.com/2019/09/30/dp29d6-griegcompl-preview-m3.jpg)
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
Quote from: Symphonic Addict on April 21, 2022, 01:00:44 PM
I have the Naxos and DG ones and I'm thoroughly happy with them.
I own them all and I'm quite happy, too. ;) ;D
Quote from: Roasted Swan on April 21, 2022, 01:35:48 PM
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.
Quote from: Mirror Image on April 21, 2022, 07:19:16 PM
I own them all and I'm quite happy, too. ;) ;D
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
Quote from: Roasted Swan on April 21, 2022, 11:18:41 PM
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.
Quote from: Roasted Swan on April 21, 2022, 11:18:41 PM
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.
Quote from: Mirror Image on April 22, 2022, 06:33:51 AM
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.
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.
Quote from: Roasted Swan on April 22, 2022, 11:25:22 AM
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.
Over 400 pages for Havergal Brian, only 4 for Grieg?? Huh?? ??? GMG is truly an alternate reality! ;D
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.
Quote from: kyjo on May 11, 2022, 11:44:00 AM
Over 400 pages for Havergal Brian, only 4 for Grieg?? Huh?? ??? GMG is truly an alternate reality! ;D
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.
Quote from: Mirror Image on May 11, 2022, 12:18:43 PM
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! ;)
Quote from: kyjo on May 11, 2022, 08:08:50 PM
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! ;)
Have you listened to any of Grieg's orchesterlieder? He didn't write much (most of which are just orchestrations of his lieder), but it is lovely music.
Quote from: Mirror Image on May 11, 2022, 08:17:02 PM
Have you listened to any of Grieg's orchesterlieder? He didn't write much (most of which are just orchestrations of his lieder), but it is lovely music.
Nope, I haven't - got any recommendations for recordings? I have heard some of his songs with piano and they're quite lovely.
Quote from: kyjo on May 15, 2022, 11:40:30 AM
Nope, I haven't - got any recommendations for recordings? I have heard some of his songs with piano and they're quite lovely.
You can't go wrong with these two, Kyle:
(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/19/53/7318599915319_600.jpg)(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/9a/2e/mf7lo62d62e9a_600.jpg)
Quote from: Mirror Image on May 15, 2022, 09:45:24 PM
You can't go wrong with these two, Kyle:
(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/19/53/7318599915319_600.jpg)(https://static.qobuz.com/images/covers/9a/2e/mf7lo62d62e9a_600.jpg)
Thanks, John. These songs should be right up my alley!
Quote from: kyjo on May 16, 2022, 08:35:41 AM
Thanks, John. These songs should be right up my alley!
No problem. I hope you enjoy them.
https://open.spotify.com/track/1SVPV5Cqyl5lM2FGdLBxQu
I didn't realise that Austbø had recorded the op 24 ballade until just today. Are there any other interesting recent recordings?
Andsnes has a disc with some pieces on Grieg's piano and also a more recent one with the ballad but I just realised that the most recent of them is 15 years old. Because he had already another selection 30 years ago on Virgin I tend to think of the 2002-07 recordings as "recent".
Quote from: Jo498 on July 22, 2022, 01:08:33 PM
Andsnes has a disc with some pieces on Grieg's piano and also a more recent one with the ballad but I just realised that the most recent of them is 15 years old. Because he had already another selection 30 years ago on Virgin I tend to think of the 2002-07 recordings as "recent".
I've started to listen to an extraordinary recording of op 24 - you'd probably say it's mad or crazy or quirky of something denigrating - by someone called Einar Steen Nøkleberg. I'd describe it as slightly camp and rather thought provoking.
Quote from: Mandryka on July 22, 2022, 11:52:20 PM
I've started to listen to an extraordinary recording of op 24 - you'd probably say it's mad or crazy or quirky of something denigrating - by someone called Einar Steen Nøkelberg. I'd describe it as slightly camp and rather thought provoking.
His recording of the Lyric Pieces is considered one of the absolutely best, whereas Andsnes can be rather polished generally.
I don't think there are that many historical recordings the Ballade, but Godowsky is one of them.
Quote from: MusicTurner on July 23, 2022, 12:02:49 AM
I don't think there are that many historical recordings the Ballade, but Godowsky is one of them.
Did Grieg record it?
Quote from: MusicTurner on July 23, 2022, 12:02:49 AM
His recording of the Lyric Pieces is considered one of the absolutely best, whereas Andsnes can be rather polished generally.
Yes I can see that what Nøkleberg does is really quite special - occasionally amusing and often expressive, lovely tone - and I may use this discovery as motivation to get to know the music better through his recordings.
Re the Lyric pieces, someone pointed out to me today that the set is cyclical in that the melody of the first, op 12/1, is in the last - op 71/7. Is there more structure than that?
Quote from: Mandryka on July 23, 2022, 01:34:54 PM
Re the Lyric pieces, someone pointed out to me today that the set is cyclical in that the melody of the first, op 12/1, is in the last - op 71/7. Is there more structure than that?
Not that I'm aware of - I believe he simply meant the last to be a remembrance of the first. (It is titled "Remembrances".) If there is any other overarching structure, I don't know it but am happy to learn about it.
By the way, to liven up the rather repetitive cycle of 152 Norwegian folk melodies which Grieg collected, Steen-Nøkleberg uses piano, Graf fortepiano, clavichord, organ, and harmonium. I own and enjoy the slimline complete Grieg box from him.
Quote from: Mandryka on July 23, 2022, 12:24:23 AM
Did Grieg record it?
No, he did not, but some have tried to reconstruct his approach on the basis of his very poor-sounding, accoustic recordings of some other piano works in 1903.
There's a Grainger piano roll recording of the 'Ballade', at 12:38 maybe abridged, available on you-tube. It's from 1901, so a few years before he met Grieg.
Also, there are at least two fine and interesting Grainger recordings of the 'Piano Concerto', one live with Stokowski (1945) and two recent studio productions with Grainger's piano roll, one with Schønwandt, that works well, one with Gupta, that I haven't heard. Whether Grainger's recordings have any associated Grieg 'authenticity' is probably hard to say, given Grainger's general eccentricity, but he did meet Grieg in 1906, and corresponded with him. Grainger also knew Delius, and they both admired Grieg.
Gramophone wrote in February 2022, that there are now more than 400 recordings (?) of the Piano Concerto. De Greef's, and Friedman's rather creative one, from the late 1920's, are among the early, important ones.
Btw Austbø has been mentioned in the 'Lyric Pieces', but I personally found him bland & culled the set, keeping, among others, Nøkleberg and the incomplete Gilels.
Also, it is if course Edvard Grieg, not Edward Grieg. An error comparable to our main composer having been called 'Carl Nielson' or 'Neilson' by some ...
Anyone prefer Knardahl to Nøkleberg? I'm impressed by first toe in the water of the Knardahl set!
She was certainly considered the Grand Old Lady among Grieg pianists a few decades ago, and an authority on his music, partly because of her BIS project. But I currently don't own any Grieg recordings by her.
Quote from: MusicTurner on July 23, 2022, 11:08:47 PM
Also, it is if course Edvard Grieg, not Edward Grieg. An error comparable to our main composer having been called 'Carl Nielson' or 'Neilson' by some ...
Removed this blemish from the thread title!