BIS-CD-637STEREO DDD".l Total playing timer 69'22 GRIEG,Edvard Hagerup(1843-1907) SeksDigte,Op,4 rwn l1'08 tr I. Die Waise(Text: Adelbert uon Chatnisso) 2',28 E II. Morgenthat (Text:Adelbert uon Chamisso) l'21 tr IIL Abschied.(Text: Heinrich Heine) ,.,r.4 E IV. Jiigerlied.(Text: J. Ludwig Uhland) 0'41 tr V. Das alte Lied (Text:Heinrich Heine) 2',17 tr VI. Wo sind sie hin? (Text:Heinrich Heine) r'32 Hjertets Melodie4 Op,EOexts: Hans Christian And.ersen) Nn) 5'53 tr I. Tobrune Ojne 1'05 E II. Du fatter ej Bglgernesevige Gang 7',41 tr III. Jegelsker dig r'34 @ IV. Min Tankeer et mregtigFjeld r'17 Sex Digte af Ibsen, Op.25 (Texts:Henrik lbsen) (wH) l1'40 E I. Spillemend 2'07 @ II. En Svane 2'00 tr III. Stambogsrim r'32 tr IV. Meden Vandlilje 1'52 tr V.Borte! I'28 @ VI. En Fuglevise 2',14 2 Barnlige Sange. Fra Nordahl Rolfsens"Lrcsebog", Op.6l 13'15 tr I. Havet (Text:J. NordahlRolfsen) eet",') l'02 @ IL Sangtil Juletreet (Text:J. Krohn) NorehMusikforlag) 2',26 E iIL Lok (Text:Bjgrnstjerne Bjgrnson) eetersl 0'46 @ IV. Fiskevise(Text: P. Dass) rchristiania.Brddrere Hals's Musihforlag) 1'07 E V. Kveld-Sangfor Blakken 2',34 (Text:J. Nordahl Rolfsen) Ghristiania,Brdilrene Hals's Musihforlng) @ VL De norskeFjelde }',29 (Text:J. NordahlRoLfsen) rchristiania. Brdilrene Hak's MusihforW) tr VII. Faedrelands-Salme r'26 (Text:J. NordahlRolfsen, after Johan Luduig Runeberg) Norsh Musihfortns) Haugtussa, Op.67 (Text:Arne Garborg) rwn) 25',47 tr I. Det Syng 3'22 @ II. Veslempy 2'44 tr IIL BIAber-Li 2',50 tr IV. Mote 4'10 @ V.Elsk 2',29 tr VI. Kiliingdans l'32 @ VII. Vonddag 2',33 E VIIL VedGetle-Bekken o,ir Monica Groop, mezzo-soprano Love Derwing€r, piano f t is often claimedthat Edvard Grieg's musicwas at its most effectivein smailerforms, I and eventhat his world-famousPiano Concerto (BIS-CD-113; original version BIS-CD- I6191 actuallyconsists of a seriesof miniaturegems. This may be true, but in sucha manner he takes his place in the Nordic lyric tradition, which has for over two hundred yearsresulted in innumerablemasterpieces in the more intimate genresof songs,piano piecesand chambermusic, especially violin sonatas. Grieg'spiano pieceshave justifiably becomepopular, anil if his songshave not achieved the samedegree of international recognitionthis is primarily on accountof the language barrier. He wrote about 150 songs,the vast majority of them to Norwegianwords. For his two earliestcollections (0p,2 and Op.4),however, he still choseGerman texts - and herewe find occasionalreminiscences of Schubertand Schumann. The reasonwhy Griegwrote so many songswas his lovefor his cousinNina Hagerup'In the 1860sshe had studiedwith the Danish singing teacherCarl Helstedt,and Grieg dedicatedthe SeftsDigte (SE Poems),0p.4 (1864-64)to his fianc6e;nevertheless, they are not love songs.An establishedsinger, she was the ideal interpreter of her husband'ssongs - but other composers,including FrederickDelius, also dedicatedsongs to her. Nina was to becomea major sourceof inspiration for Grieg throughouthis careeras a composer.They becameengaged in 1864,and nobodycould have receiveda finer engagementpresent than she:the third songfrom ldjertets Melodier (The Heart'sMelodies), Op.5 (1864-65t, ,/eg elskerdig (I LoveYou) - oneof Grieg'sbest-known songs, written in a correspondingrush of inspiration.For this group of songshe had chosenfour of Hans Christian Andersen'smost beautiful poems,and here for the first time he succeededin finding an individual melodic style. This was not realizedat the time: the music was printed by a publisherin Copenhagen,but at Grieg'sown expense. In many respectsthe Danishfairy-tale writer Andersenwas just the oppositeof the NorwegianHenrik Ibsen. Grieg brought them togetherby including poemsby both in his 0p,15group of songs(c. 1865);later on, Griegwas to useIbsen's Peer Gynt as the basisof his most familiar orchestralmusic. Grieg was to be inspired by Ibsen'spoetry on a further occasion,in spring 1976- this time not by its burlesqueaspects 0r its flights offantasy but by its austerityand seriousness- in the SexDigte (Six Poems)of 0p.25,En Suane(.4 Swan)has becomethe best-knownofthese short, autumnaltone pictures;in highly-charged 4 symboliclanguage the text relates how life's crises can onlv be overcomewith the aid of music. In summer 1894Grieg cameinto contactwith Nordahl Rolfsen'sLesebog (Reader) and was commissionedto set sevenof its shoft poemsto music.The intention was for the songs to be printed in the reader,but the composerbecame so inspired that the songsgrew in scaie and their emotionalrange exceeded what was foreseen.For this reasonGrieg also published them independentlyasBarnlige Sange (Children'sSongs), Op.61. In May 1895Arne Garborg'sHaugtussa, a collectionof 71 poems,was published.Grieg immediatelyread them at Troldhaugen,his home,and found that the poemswere 'already set to music - it was only a questionof writing them down'.As early as mid-Junehe was ready with twelve settingsof the poems,and in the next year he sketchedothers. He presumablyhad a more ambitiouscollection of songsin mind, becausehe delayed publication.When Haugtusso, Op.67,was finally printed in 1867,however, he had only approvedeight ofthe songs- but thesewere amongthe songswhich Griegregarded as his very best. He had enteredcompletely into the destiny of the visionary girl Ves1em6y.She was deepiyinfluenced by the landscapearound Jreren in the wild south-westof Norway. After being rejectedby her lover she attempts to flee from the reality of life by meansof contactwith nature and the powersof the underworld.Grieg was greatly affectedby the nature mysticismand composedthe songsin a stateof great inspiration - which resultedin someofGrieg's last songsalso being his very finest. Stig Jacobsson Monica Groop (b.1958)has in recentyears becomeone of Finland's most highly sought- after young singers.Following her successin the 1989Cardiff Singerof the World Competition,she has receivedmany invitations to perform internationally;since 1989she has sungas a soloistat the Finnish NationalOpera. Monica Groop received her singrng diplomafrom the SibeliusAcademy in 1985after studieswith Kerttu Metsiilii-Ignatiusand gaduated as a Doctorof Music the followingyear. She has appearedas a soloistwith many Finnish choirs and orchestrasand has performedat the SavonlinnaOpera Festival since 1986.She appears on two otherBIS records. Love Derwinger (b. 1966)studied the pianowith ProfessorGunnar Hallhagen in stockholm.He madehis d6but with Liszt'ssecond Piano concertoat the ageof 17 and has sincegiven concertsin many countrieson both sidesof the Atlantic. Love Derwingerhas appeaiedwith a number of leadingartists includingIngvar Wixell, Nicolai Ge-ddaand Manuela Wiesler.He has appearedin a concertbroadcast on BBC televisionwith HAkan Hardenbergerand christian Lindberg. He has formed a duo with RolandPdntinen. Love Derwingerappears on ten other BIS records. s wird hAufighelorgehoben, da8 Edvard Grieg im Kleinformatam wirkungvollsten war, und daBsogar sein weltberiihmtes Kauierkonzerl (BIS-CD-113, BIS-CD-619 in der 0riginalfassung)eigentlich aus einer PerlenreiheMiniaturen besteht.Vieileicht stimmt dies,aber dadurchsteht er auch an selbstverstiindlicherStelle in jener nordischen, lyrischenTtadition, die im Laufe von zweihundertJahren unzAhligeMeisterwerke des intimerenFormats schuf: Lieder, Klavierwerke und Kammermusik,vor allemViolinsonaten. Grieg wird zu Rechtwegen seiner Klavierstiicke geliebt, und wenn die Lieder nicht denselbeninternationalen Ruhm erlangt haben,hat dies wohl am ehestensprachliche Griinde.Er schriebetwas 150Lieder, von denendie meistenaufnorwegischer Lyrik bauen. Fiir seinefriihesten Hefte, Op.2und 4, wiihlte er abernoch deutsche Texte - und hier wird man nachwie vor manchmalan Schubertund Schumannerinnert. Der Grund dafur,da13 Grieg soviele Lieder schrieb,war, daBer sichin seineKusine Nina Hagerupverliebt hatte. Sie hatte in den 1860erJahren beim danischenGesangsptidagogen Carl Helstedtstudiert, und Grieg widmetedie SecftsGeilichte 0p,4 (1863-64)seiner Braut - aber es sind nochkeine Liebeslieder.Sie war eine anerkannteSdngerin, der ideale Interpret der Lieder ihres Gatten - aber auchbeispielsweise Frederick Delius widmeteihr eine Liedsammlung.Nina wurde wtihrendGriegs ganzer Karriere seinegroBe Inspirationsquelle.Sie verlobtensich 1864,und wer bekamdenn jemals ein schoneres Verlobungsgeschenkals sie: das dritte Lied aus Melodien des Herzens Op.5(1864-65), /cl liebeDich - einesder bekanntestenLieder Griegs,in einemzusammenhiingenden Rausch der Eingebungentstanden. Fiir dieseSammlung hatte er vier der allerschonstenGedichte H.C. Andersensausgesucht, und es gelangihm zum erstenmal,einen eigenenmelodischen Stil zu finden. Man verstandihn aber trotzdemnicht - die Noten wurden zwar von einem KopenhagenerVerlag gedruckt, aber auf Griegseigene Kosten. Der NorwegerHenrik Ibsenwar in vielemdas Gegenteildes danischen Miirchendichters Andersen.Bei Grieg mulStensie aber miteinanderzurechtkommen - die Lieder Op.15(um 1865)enthalten Texte von beiden,und spiiter schuf Grieg mit IbsensPeer Gynt setne bekanntesteOrchestermusik (I874-75). Noch einmal,im Fruhling 1876,iieB sich Griegvon IbsensDichten inspirieren,diesmal aber nicht fiir Burleskesoder Phantasieflucht,sondern von dem schroffenErnst der Sechs Gedichfe, die er fiir sein 0p.25 wtihlte' Am bekanntestenunter diesenkurzen, herbstlichen Stimmungsbildern wurde Ein Schwan,wo der Text in geladenerSymbolsprache erziihlt, da13die Krisen des Lebensnur durch die Musik zu iiberwindensind. Im Sommer1894 lernte Griegdas Lesebuchvon