# Grieg's Lyric Pieces for Piano



## tahnak

These ten sets for piano are exquisite. 
I have heard a recording by Andrei Gavrilov. It is beautiful playing.
Each piece is lyric and beautiful and the gem is 'Wedding Day at Troldhaugen'.


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## Polednice

Indeed! I have developed an obsession with Grieg's _Lyric Pieces_ recently; I can't keep my ears or hands away from them!

_Wedding Day at Troldhaugen_ is a beautiful piece, though I don't know if I could choose a favourite, simply because there are so many and they're all delightful in their own way. I'm particularly interested in the various _Folksongs_/_National Songs_ etc. because (regarding my degree) I specialise in Mediaeval English Literature, particularly that of the Anglo-Saxon period, which is heavily influenced by the Scandinavian cultures, so I'm captivated by contemporary nationalist music that has arisen from that background.

Have you heard Eva Knardahl perform them? On BIS, she recorded all of Grieg's works for piano, and she's my personal preference


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## tahnak

Polednice said:


> Indeed! I have developed an obsession with Grieg's _Lyric Pieces_ recently; I can't keep my ears or hands away from them!
> 
> _Wedding Day at Troldhaugen_ is a beautiful piece, though I don't know if I could choose a favourite, simply because there are so many and they're all delightful in their own way. I'm particularly interested in the various _Folksongs_/_National Songs_ etc. because (regarding my degree) I specialise in Mediaeval English Literature, particularly that of the Anglo-Saxon period, which is heavily influenced by the Scandinavian cultures, so I'm captivated by contemporary nationalist music that has arisen from that background.
> 
> Have you heard Eva Knardahl perform them? On BIS, she recorded all of Grieg's works for piano, and she's my personal preference


No. I have not heard. In India, it is quite difficult to lay hands on BIS labels and Eva Knardahl. Thanks for the response.


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## JAKE WYB

I too have develpoed n obseesion with Grieg lyric pieces - I bought the music and cant stop playing them on the piano - i then couldnt help but want to orchestrate a couple so im making a suite from - *Evening in the mountains, Nocturne, Halling, Brooklet, Norwegian melody and Waldestille* - I know the first two are already orchestrated by grieg but disappointingly so in my opinion. I find getting such atmosphere into so little is an unsurpassed achievement of griegs.


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## Polednice

JAKE WYB said:


> I too have develpoed n obseesion with Grieg lyric pieces - I bought the music and cant stop playing them on the piano - i then couldnt help but want to orchestrate a couple so im making a suite from - *Evening in the mountains, Nocturne, Halling, Brooklet, Norwegian melody and Waldestille* - I know the first two are already orchestrated by grieg but disappointingly so in my opinion. I find getting such atmosphere into so little is an unsurpassed achievement of griegs.


Interesting! As there are more than pieces that share some of those titles, what book/numbers are they?


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## tahnak

JAKE WYB said:


> I too have develpoed n obseesion with Grieg lyric pieces - I bought the music and cant stop playing them on the piano - i then couldnt help but want to orchestrate a couple so im making a suite from - *Evening in the mountains, Nocturne, Halling, Brooklet, Norwegian melody and Waldestille* - I know the first two are already orchestrated by grieg but disappointingly so in my opinion. I find getting such atmosphere into so little is an unsurpassed achievement of griegs.


Are you suggesting that you are going to improve on Grieg's orchestration?


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## JAKE WYB

listen and play the nocturne and evening in the mountains on the piano then listen to the grieg orchestrations - are you suggesting anybody cant imporve on them???

thats not the point anyhow - i didnt choose them because grieg already did them i chose my own selection to make what i think is a suitable suite and i dont _aim_ to improve on the two of the five that happen to have been done by grieg - i know however that i have a differing view of the colours, textures and dramatic potential in the piano music and that my orchestrations will be very different as a result and will contain in orchestral form at least some of the wonders within the piano form.

This is simply a perfect exercise for someone like me wishing to hone my orchestrational skills as there is much subtelty to be taken from this music


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## BenG

"Peace of the woods" is by far my favourite of the lyric pieces. Just so beautiful and.. Peaceful.


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## MelodicMi88

I just discovered Grieg’s Lyric Pieces through my husband’s interest! These pieces too promise to become an obsession for me to explore and play . I very very much appreciate recommended pieces and performers ! I remember reading a comment of Grieg saying how he had succumbed to yet more writing of lyric pieces .


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## Phil loves classical

I have Gilels selection on DG.


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## Mandryka

I think there's a very good recording of these pieces by Pletnev -- not his second for DG but his first for Melodiya, it's here






If not Gieseking is not without a certain charm I think.


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## Pat Fairlea

Phil loves classical said:


> I have Gilels selection on DG.


I love Gilels' DG recording of Lyric Pieces: he takes such care over them. Richter likewise.


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## Josquin13

Emil Gilels, Sviatoslav Richter, Andrei Gavrilov, and Eva Knardahl are all remarkable in the Lyric Pieces (& for me, the best of this group is Richter live on Stradivarius: 



 ), but my favorite recording remains the old EMI Seraphim LP set from pianist Walter Gieseking of "31 Lyric Pieces". Maybe it's that this was my very first recording, but for me, Gieseking is still better than the more recent pianists. Mandryka has already provided a link to the Gieseking set, but here it is again:




Alexander Goldenweiser is another old favorite in this music:




More recently, Håkon Austbø is excellent, too: 




I wasn't quite as keen on Leif Ove Andsnes' CD of Lyric Pieces, but he's certainly good.

By the way, like Knardhal, pianist Einar Steen-Nøkleberg has also recorded the complete piano music of Grieg (for Naxos); including all the Lyric Pieces, & his set is well worth hearing, too: 




There is also a 1903 phonograph recording by Grieg of "To Spring" and "Butterfly", that are of course worth hearing (as Grieg plays this music faster than you might expect) and some 1906 Welte-Mignon piano rolls too (in much better sound):


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