GRIEG Piano Music Vol. 11 Peer Gynt Suites Nos. 1 and 2 Sigurd Jorsalfar, Op. 22 Two Pieces from Olav Trygvason, Op. 50 Bergliot, Op. 42 Einar Steen-N~Meberg,Piano Rut Tellefsen Per Tofte, Narrators Chamber Choir of the Norwegian State Institute of Music Stefan Schi~ll,Conductor Edvard Grieg (1843 - 1907) Piano Music Vol. 11 Sigurd Jorsalfar, Op. 22 Peer Gynt, Suite No. 1, Op. 46 Peer Gynt, Suite No. 2, Op. 55 To stykker fra Olav Trygvason, Op. 50 (Two Pieces from Olag Trygvason) Bergliot, Op. 42 Edvard Grieg was born in Bergen, on the west coast of Norway in 1843. He showed a strong interest in music at a very early age, and after encouragement from the violinist and composer Ole Bull (1810 - 1880) was sent to the Conservatory in Leipzig at the age of fifteen to receive his musical education. There he had fundamental and solid musical training, and through the city's flourishing musical life, received impressions and heard music which would come to leave its stamp on him for the rest of his life - for better or for worse. Even though he severely criticized the Leipzig Conservatory, especially towards the end of his life, in reality his exceptional gifts were recognised, and one sees in his sketchbooks of the Leipzig period that he had the freedom to experiment as well. He had no good reason to criticize the conservatory, nor his teachers, for poor teaching or a lack of understanding. From Leipzig Grieg travelled to Copenhagen, bringing with him the solid musical training he had acquired, and there soon became known as a promising young composer. It was not long before he came under the influence of Rikard Nordraak, whose glowing enthusiasm and unshakeable belief that the key to a successful future for Norwegian music lay in nationalism, in the uniquely Norwegian, the music of the people - folk-songs - came to play a decisive r61e in Grieg's development as a composer. Nordraak's influence is most obvious in the H~lnzoresqves for pinno, Op. 6, which was considered a turning-point in Grieg's career as a composer. 8.553397 2 In the autumn of 1866, Grieg settled in Christiania (Oslo). In 1874 Norway's capital was the centre for his activities. During this time he also wrote the majority of the works which laid the foundation for his steadily increasing fame. In spite of his poor health - he had had a defective lung ever since childhood - he was constantly on concert-tour as a pianist or as a conductor, always with his own works on the programme. After his last concert-tour in 1907, he wrote to his friend Frants Beyer: This Tour Ims been strange. Tlze Az~dienceshave been on my Side. In Germany I have received more acclainr for my ART tlmn ever before. But tlze Critics both in Mz~niclzand in Berliii Imve let me know in no zrncertniiz terms, that they think I nnz a dead Man. Tlmt is my pzrnisknzent for nzy lack of Productivity in tlzese last Years, wkiclz nzy zuretcl~edplzysicnl condition has caused. It is a lmrd and undeserved Pl~nishnzent- but I conlfort nzyself with tlze thozrght tlut it is not the Critics, rulzo govern the world. (Letter to Frants Beyer, 5th March, 1907) More clearly than anything else, this letter shows a trend which Grieg experienced in his later years in relation to his music. It was also a development which would continue internationally until long after his death. Within the musical establishment, there were increasing numbers of people who were gradually becoming more critical of Grieg's music and of his abilities and talent as a composer. In the meantime his popularity among music-loving audiences increased in inverse proportion. Grieg enjoyed some of his greatest popularity with the general public during the last years of his life, when, in spite of his greatly weakened health, he was continually on tour, in popular demand from concert- managers all over the world. The critics, however, were sceptical and condescending, and there is no doubt that Grieg felt hurt by their attitude: I cnnnot be blnnmed if nzy nztisic is played in tlzird-rate lzotels and by sclzool- girls. I could not lmve crented nzy nztisic any otlter rony, even flzot~gliI did not lznve my niidietzce in mind nt the tinme. I gzless this popiilnrity is all riglzt, but it is dearly boz~ght.My reptitntioiz os n cotnposer is stifferering becnzlse of if,nnd tlze criticisnl is dispnrging. From early on Grieg was labelled a composer of small forms. His indisputable lyrical ability and talent were never doubted, but apart from some very few works such as the Pinizo Concerto in A nzinor, Op. 16, and the String Qunrtet in G nzinor, Op. 27, the Pintzo Sonnta in E nzinor, Op. 7, the three Violin Sonntns, Op. 8 in F nmjor, Op. 13 in G nznjor and Op. 45 in C nminor, and the Cello Sonntn in A nminor, Op. 36, he was not able, in spite of his many desperate attempts to do so, to feel completely at home with more extended musical forms. He felt that this was a short-coming, and unfairly blamed his education at the Leipzig Conservatory. Nevertheless, he also showed that he could master these forms when on rare occasions he found raw musical material that could be reworked and treated within the traditional structure of sonata-form. The only problem was that the musical material to which he felt closest and that most fascinated him, was of another quality and character. Grieg's encounter with Norwegian folk-music, and his assimilation of essential features from this music, released certain aspects of his own creativity that soon led to his music being, for many, identified with folk- music. By some he was considered more or less simply an arranger of folk-music, and that hurt him very deeply: In nly Op. 17 nnd Op. 66, I have nrrnnged folk-songs for tlze pinno, in Op. 30, I lznvefreely rendered folk-bnllnds for the mnle voice. In three or four oftily reinnining works, I hnve attenlpted to use Norrueginn songs tlzenznticnlly. And since I have ptiblisked tip to 70 works by izoro, I shotild be nllozoed to soy tlznt notlzing is more iizcorrect tlznn tlze clninm from Gertnnn critics tllnt my so-called origittnlity is litnifed to my borrozuittg front folk-music. It is quite nnother tlzing if n tzntionalistic spirit, which hns been expressed Niroilgl~folk-music siitce nncient times, Itovers over nzy original crentive ~uorks.~ Much instrumental Norwegian folk-music is built from small melodic themes, units which are repeated with small variations in appoggiaturas and sometimes with rhythmic displacements. Sections are then joined together to form larger units. We seldom find any true development as it is understood in traditional classical music. It gradually became clear to Grieg that he felt the greatest affinity with this music. That is why it also became so difficult to distinguish between what in Grieg's works came originally from folk-music, and what was his own composition. This must also have been especially difficult for foreign critics and audiences. In Grieg's music there are two features which particularly attract our attention, rhythm and harmony. In many instances Grieg's rhythm in his piano compositions is taken from the folk-dance, as well as from compositions which are not based upon folk-music. He placed great emphasis on the rhythmic element, and considered it paramount in the presentation of his works which have dance as the point of departure. He was of the opinion that in order to be able to play one of his compositions, one had to know and feel the dance rhythm. Characteristic of his understanding of the rhythmic element is the story about the meeting between Grieg and Ravel in Paris, in 1894, at the home of William Molard: Wltile the briglit-eyed contpnny disc~rssedmusic, Ravel quietly zuent over to Molnrd's pintto nnd begnn to plny one of the nznster's Norrueginn Dnnces. Grieg listened wit11 a smile, but tlzen begnn to show signs of intpntience, suddenly getting ilp nnd snyiizg slurply: "No, yozlng ntnn, itot like that nt nll. Mitclz more rlzyt/~nz.It's n folk-dnnce, n pensntzt rlnnce. You sllollld see the peasnnts at honze, ruitll nfiddler stntizpiitg in time zuitlz nzzlsic. Play it ngnin! Atzd while Rnvel played, tlze little mat? jtltizped t~pnizd skipped nboztt the rootit to tlte nstotzislzttzent of the ~onzpnny.~ 5 8.553397 Harmony is at the heart of his work. Often it is the harmony itself which is the basis of the composition. Grieg pointed this out emphatically in a letter to his biographer, Henry T. Finck: Tlze renlttl of lznritlony, 1lns alzunys been nzy dreattz world, and my relationslzip to this 1zarnzonious wny of feeling and flze Norzoegian folk-songs Ims been a nzystery even for nle. I lmve understood tllnt tlze secret depth onefinds in our folk-songs is basically ozoing to tlze richness of tlzeir zltztold hnritzoizic possibilities. In my rezoorkiizg of tlze folk-songs Op. 66, but also elsezol~ere,I lmve nttenzpted to express my interpretation of tlze hiddeiz 1mrn~oiziesin our folk-songs.' Grieg's interest in harmony had become obvious to others already while he was at the Conservatory. At that time it was first and foremost a desire to experiment. Later harmony became his way of bringing forth the very "soul" of the folk-tunes. Among other things, he deliberately used unfamiliar, "radical" chord progressions in order to suggest the vague tonality (sotto voce half tones, vague thirds) such as one finds in many of the songs, a melodic characteristic which would otherwise be impossible from an instrument like the piano. Grieg's instrument was primarily the piano. From his earliest years to the concert-tour in the year he died, he performed as a pianist his own compositions. He was not a virtuoso, but his intimate familiarity with the piano allowed him to present his own music in such a way as to leave a deep and lasting impression upon everyone who heard him play. According to contemporary reports he had a marvellous ability to bring out the best, the very essence, of his own piano pieces. When he took his place on the platform, the atmosphere became electric, and the critics emphasized his refined touch, tone quality, and the complete absence of superficial gestures. Grieg's compositions contributed very modestly to the development of piano technique. Most of his piano pieces are technically speaking within the abilites of competent amateurs. This, together with musical characteristics which seem to have a stimulating and refreshing effect, 8.553397 6 contributed to the fact that he was one of the most played, and respected composers in Europe - popular, if not ,with the critics, then at least with the majority of those interested in music. Grieg's compositions were written in the epoch of the piano. Music and piano-playing in the average home were at a peak during the last half of the nineteenth century and the first decades of this century. Cyril Ehrlich has calculated that in 1910 alone more than 600,000 pianos were produced. To know how to play the piano was part of the general education in most middle-class families, especially for girls. No wonder the music publishers C. F. Peters hoisted the flag in London and Frankfurt every time Grieg delivered a manuscript for a new album of piano pieces. It is also understandable that Grieg sometimes experienced the demand for new piano pieces as a strain. There were also times when he felt that the production of piano pieces was a sort of bribe, or indulgence, to make sure that the publishing-house issued his other works as well. Nevertheless, in general, Grieg had an excellent relationship with his publisher in Leipzig. He was particularly close to Dr. Max Abraham (1831 - 1900), who became editor at Peters in 1863. This is clearly shown by the abundant correspondence that has been preserved. Verlngsb~~clzluzndlungC. F. Peters Bureau de Musique, was the full name of the publishing-house that acted as Grieg's exclusive publisher from 1890 and agreed to pay him 4000 Marks every year, a sum which was adjusted to 6000 Marks in 1901. In return, Grieg was to offer Peters all of his future compositions with rights, fiir nllen Lander (for all countries), for a certain fee. Grieg experienced a great deal of adversity during certain periods of his life, but he also had more success than most other composer colleagues of his time. Nevertheless he never lost the feelings of unrest, of not having developed his talent to the full degree, of having left something undone, something unfulfilled within himself. Throughout his life, Grieg was a restless soul. He never felt completely at peace anywhere. When 7 8.553397 he was in Bergen, he longed for Christiania, and when he was there he longed for Copenhagen and the continent. When he was abroad, he longed to be back home, but no sooner had he arrived in Bergen than he felt oppressed and restless and wanted to go off again. There were perhaps only two places where he really felt at home and satisfied, on the concert-platform and in the Norwegian mountains, especially Jotunheimen. When he was in the presence of his audience or experiencing the powerful and free nature of the western part of Norway, he felt whole and complete. The incidental music for Sigtird Jorsnlfnr, which Grieg wrote in 1872 for the historical drama by Bjnmsteme Bj~lrnson(1832-1910) was originally for orchestra and consisted of five numbers. Three of these he arranged for piano and they were published by the Danish publisher, Lose, in 1874. Grieg revised the music for Siglird Jorsnlfnr in 1892 and the orchestral score of the revised version was published by Peters in 1893 as Opus 56. At the same time a revised edition of the piano arrangements was issued. This last is recorded elsewhere in the present series. The second of the three pieces, Ved nznnnjevnilzgen (Trial of Strength), is based on a Gnvotte for violin and piano written in 1867. Grieg's collaboration with Bj~rnsonduring the years from 1871 to 1874 was intense, inspiring and stormy and resulted in several dramatic and melodramatic compositions that are considered to be among the best things that Grieg wrote (Olnv Trypnso~~,Op. 50 and Bergliof, Op. 42). Together they planned with Olng Trygvnson to create a national Norwegian opera. Work on this had started, when Grieg accepted a request from another writer, Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) to write music for a new drama, Peer Gyrzt. The sketch of the opera was laid aside and this effectively ended the relationship between Grieg and Bjnrnson. Once the music for Peer Gynt was finished, Grieg was ready to resume work on the opera, but by this time historical drama was already a thing of the past for Bj~rnson,who was now absorbed in contemporary drama and realism. 8.553397 8 It is probable that Bjsmson never really forgave Grieg for setting aside their plans for a great opera in order to write music for a play by Ibsen. Towards the end of 1876 contact between them was completely broken. Bjmson had suggested that Grieg write the music for one of his plays on a contemporary subject, but the composer felt that this was not for him: One cannot manage to overcome Everything in this World, and I am pursuing other ideals. To paint Norwegian Nature, Peasant Life, History and the Poetry of the People in Notes, is where I feel I have a contribution to make, and what you are talking about has my full Sympathy, but I am not the Man to do it, at , least not at this point in my Life, I am still infatuated by Romanticism in all its vigorous abundance. (Letter to Bjamsteme Bjsmson, 21st February, 1875) The separation between Grieg and Bjsrnson lasted until 1888, when Grieg once again took out the sketches for Olag Trypason and wrote a work for orchestra. The same year a piano excerpt was published with the number Opus 50 and under the title Scenes from Olav Trygvason, consisting of seven numbers. The orchestral score was published by Peters in 1890. Later, probably in 1893, Grieg reworked for piano two of the pieces, the second and sixth of the orchestral version. These were published under the title of Gebet und Tempeltanz aus Olav Trypason. These pieces had originally been written for a four-part mixed choir and orchestra. In connection with the first performance of the operatic fragment in Christiania (Oslo) in autumn 1889, Grieg wrote to Bjsmson suggesting that they forget their earlier difference and inviting him to the first performance, while seeking his permission to give him credit for the work. Bjamson accepted the gesture wholeheartedly, but nonetheless their relationship was never as it had been. The melodrama Bergliot, Op. 42, was written in 1871 for Bjornson's poem, first published in 1862. Bergliot is also a character from an early heroic epic. She was married to the nobleman Einar Tambarskjelve, when he and their son Eindride were killed by the king, Harald Hardr5de. In his poem Bj~rnsontries to express Bergliot's inner struggle and suffering, how she wavers between despair and the desire for revenge and how the king's treachery has made her feel stronger rather than subservient. For this poem Grieg wrote intense and powerful music, reflecting the drama. The music was performed for the first time in Christiania in 1885 with Laura Gundersen in the leading r6le. When the work was published two years later, the orchestral score and piano excerpts, it was dedicated to her. In the end, however, it is the music for Peer Gynt that more than any other work has contributed to Grieg's international reputation. The incidental music was first heard at the first performance of the play at the Christiania Theatre on 24th February 1876 and was a great success. Grieg, however, was not present and was, in fact, often absent at first performances of several of major works. One month later he managed to have some of the pieces published by Lose in Copenhagen, but the music only became famous when he published his orchestral Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46. At the same time he published a piano arrangement of the suite. Five years later he followed this with a piano arrangement of Siiite No. 2, Op. 55. The orchestral Suite No. 2 was originally published in January 1893 with five movements but this was withdrawn after Grieg had had the opportunity of hearing it, at a concert in Leipzig that he conducted. He was convinced that the fifth piece, Dance of tlze Molintnin King's Dntigliter, should only be played in the theatre: I have nozu heard the piece. . . I have even condiicted it . . . nnd with all respect and love to all tlze trolls, in tlzejnnl analysis zue nlust shorv no mercy and cut it o~it.~ 1 Ja, jn es ist, oder besser, es scltemt selrr schwr ntit dieser Popularitat, sie ist aber nicltt billig. Meirr Renonrnrh als Kiinstler dnrrrnferund die Krifik zurrd gelIdssig. Gliickliclrerdie Kiinstler, die niclrt bei Lebzeiten die sogenanne Popularitat erlurlten. lclr kann doch dafir, dass ntone Musik in hotellot dritten Ranges rrnd wn dot Bnck~xitengesprelt zuird. Iclr lube nrerneMtrsik desslralb doclt eben so ruamt entpjrnderi olrrte an Ptrblicunt rn denken. Seiji'olr, Du, der Drch Nienrnnd sclrutzig nmchte. Werden deine Werke gespielt, dnnn ruerde~isie gut mrgefiikrt! Das ist ein grosser Vmzug. Machte ntir dock dte bescheiden seiri, zuo ich zvelfvergessenfir nrich und nieine Krrnst leben katnte! Letter to Julius Rontgen, London, 25th May, 1906 ,qv. Julius Rontgen: Grieg, 's-Gravenhage: Kruseman, p.108 2 In nreinen Op. 17 urrd 66 lrabe iclr Volbzup~ienfu'rClavier rgesetzt, in Op. 30 dergleiclrenflr Mdnnergewng ji'ei bwbeitet. ln drei oder vier nteirren ubrigen Werke habe iclr es venucht, nonu. Volkswisen nrofivisck zu vmvmden. Da iclr nber his jdzt 70 veroffentliclrte, dnrfick ruohl sagen, dnss Ntchts ungereclrter ist ab die Belmuptung gecuisser deutsclrer Kritiker, dnss nreine sogennnnte Originalitet siclr auf die Venuendung des VolksliedesbeschnYnkfO. Dass der Geist des Vaferhndes,rwlcltn in den Volksliedenrwn jefrer einen Ausdruck find, ubernreingemtes scltaffen scltruebt, ist etws Anderes. Letter to Henry T. Fink, 17th July,1900 3 A Ravel Rmdec Comspandence, nrtfcles, interninus, ed. Arbie Orenstein. New York: Columbia University Press, 1990, p. 237. This story comes from Lionel Carey, Delius: Tlre Parfs Ymrs, p. 56; see also Gille CRrard-Arlberg, No 6 rue Vercrrgetorix, I, Konstrevy, 2,1958, p. 65 4 Das Reick der Hamtonien War inrmer nteine Traunrwelt und das Verlurltnis nreiner lurrnronisclten Enrppndungs~ueisezu der lronuegiscl~enVolksrwise war mir selbst ein Mysteriunr. lck habe gefundm, dns dunkle Tiefe unserer Weisen in dmn Reiclrtunr an ungenlrnten lurmtaisclm Miigliclrkeiten ilrrot Grund fW. Letter to H. T. Finck, 17th July, 1900. 5 Ich hnbe nun auch das StiiEkgelrbrt, und nvar in einenr Akadenrischen Konzert, Wo ich es sognr dirigirt hnbe und nrit nNm Respect und Liebefir alle 'Tmld' ist doelf das Resultat gelieben, dnss icir dns letzte Stiick ganz unbarlieaigforgex/rniftenknbe. Letter to Julius Rontgen, 19th Feburary, 1893. To enable the wider non-Norwegian audience to experience directly orchestral excerpts, with the piano transcriptions of these three orchestral compositions, in their original context, I have made use of the words spoken by actors and the choral text. In this way the listener may appreciate the atmosphere at a stage performance of these works. The words are all original, but of course this extends the boundaries of pure piano music. It is hoped that this solution will give the listener a better understanding of these works by Grieg. Einar Steen-N0kleberg

Einar Steen-Nskleberg The Norwegian pianist Einar Steen-Nokleberg was an early winner of the German High School Piano Competition. Other prizes include the Norwegian Piano Competition in 1972, and in 1975 the Norwegian Critics' Prize for Best Performance, awarded after a performance of Grieg's Piano Concerto at the Bergen Festival. In 1976 he was honoured for the Norwegian Recording of the Year for a recital of music by Norwegian Baroque composers. Other awards include the Grieg Prize in 1985 and in 1992. From 1975 to 1981 Einar Steen-Nokleberg was professor of piano at the Hanover Musikhochschule and in recent years has enjoyed an international career, with recitals throughout Europe, in the United States of America and in the former Soviet Union. Edvard GRZEG (1843 - lsw) Igano Musk Vd11

Peer Gpt, Suite Na 2, Op. 55 (R*lf**h.r-J ~-LgfP',?rida~.,- -(a g m---F (5:m 5)hGmk~~dlmpr~ -ow- w--*sa) El ss*dallscssrry~~ (* ~ku, To stykkw fra Oh-ma, Op. t3m1 (Two Hews from Olav Trygvasa~) I-w mm Mnw-Wmd-l

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