Edvard Grieg is a singer of Scandinavian legends. Edvard Grieg

Municipal budget institution

additional education

Children's Art School No. 8

Ulyanovsk.

Musicological work of a piano teacher

Tuarminskaya Elena Anatolievna

"The work of E. Grieg and his piano works"

201 6 year

"The work of E. Grieg and his piano works"

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………...1

§one. Edvard Grieg - a classic of Norwegian music………………………………2-5

§2. Acquaintance of students with the work of Grieg in the process of studying it ... .. 5-8

§3. Grieg's works in the piano class of the art school. ……….8-23

Conclusion………………………….……………….…………………………..23

References…………………...……………………………………...23-24

Introduction

An artist of a bright individual warehouse, Grieg entered the history of world musical culture as a great Norwegian composer, whose music embodied all the best that his homeland has created for many centuries: the heroism of the folk epic and the mysterious fabulousness, the energy of folk dance and wonderful, tender lyrics. In the words of Ibsen, it contains "both the memory of the past and the power of love."

The intellectual and spiritual life of each person is based on the national culture to which he belongs. Its significance for the development of creative potential cannot be overestimated: “There is a law of human nature and culture, by virtue of which everything great can be said by a person or a people only in its own way, and everything ingenious will be born precisely in the bosom of national experience, spirit and way of life” (Ilyin I. BUT.). Grieg's work is a vivid confirmation of this law, and

Acquaintance with the legacy of the great composer helps student musicians to comprehend many patterns inherent in the processes of formation of the creative style of any master.

§one. Edvard Grieg - a classic of Norwegian music

The national and world significance of Grieg's art is best seen in those brief words with which he tried to express his creative credo, his goals and tasks as an artist: “I recorded the folk music of my country. I drew rich treasures from the folk tunes of my homeland, and from this still unexplored source of the Norwegian folk soul I tried to create a national art.

Grieg told the whole world about his country. About the uniqueness of Norwegian nature with its rocks, fjords and gorges. About the bizarre climate: on a narrow strip of the coast there is a warm green spring, and in the mountains - a winter cold. About the harsh life of the people of this country - pressed by the mountains to the sea, who must settle near the water and forever fight with the stone, arranging dwellings on bare sheer cliffs.

Grieg conveyed in music the greatness of Norwegian nature, indomitable

the spirit of the people, its amazing sagas and fairy tales.

The melody of Norwegian folk music has a number of characteristic

features. First of all, the unusualness of its interval sequences is impressive. Often the melodic line unfolds in the form of a complex ornament, in the layering of various grace notes, mordents, trills, melodic delays or short invocative intonations. The harmonic language of Norwegian music is characterized by modal variability, extensive use of the Lydian mode, and modality. As a result, a tonal "co-play" is formed, which enlivens rhythmic action, gives mobility, impulsiveness and astringency to the sound. Of particular importance in Norwegian musical folklore is rhythm, a characteristic feature of which, like for mode, is variability. The whimsical change of two-beat and three-beat, bizarre accent arrangements, change of groupings of time signatures - all this is typical for Norwegian folk music. An important factor in it is the very contrast of figurative content, saturation with changeable moods, sudden transitions from pathos to heavy thoughts, from melancholy

to light humor, which sometimes gives rise to a special ballad tone, largely coming from the contrasts of life and landscapes in Norway.

Typical features of Norwegian musical folklore found a peculiar reflection in Grieg's piano music and largely determined the originality of its style. Grieg's interpretation of various folk dances is also of interest. In Norway, dances with double and triple time signatures have become widespread.

Three-part dances - springar, springlake - differed from each other in different use of syncopation, accents, characteristic changes in meter, which gave a unique originality to each dance. Double-time dances are divided into two types: 2/4 and 6/8. First of all, these are gangar and halling. Gangar is a pair dance procession, halling (as a rule, has a faster pace than gangar) is a solo male dance, known throughout most of the country.

Grieg's music had genetic links not only with Norwegian national art, but also with Western European culture in general. The best traditions of German romanticism, embodied primarily in the work of Schumann, had a significant impact on the formation of Grieg's creative method. This was noted by the composer himself, calling himself "a romantic of the Schumann school." Grieg, like Schumann, romanticism is close to the sphere of lyrical and psychological aspirations, reflecting the world of complex and subtle human feelings. Other aspects of Schumann's romanticism were also reflected in Grieg's work: keen observation, the transmission of life phenomena in their unique originality - that is, those qualities that determine the distinctive features of romantic art.

An heir to romantic traditions, Grieg adopted the general principles

"Schumann", poetic programming, which is most fully revealed in the collections of "Lyric Pieces", which the composer turned to throughout almost his entire creative life. Grieg's piano miniatures have "descriptive names": these are impressions ("At the Carnival" op. 19 No. 3), a landscape sketch ("In the Mountains" op. 19 No. 1), sometimes memories ("It was once" op. 71 No. 1), coming from the heart, Grigovian light and specifically "northern". The artistic goal of the composer is not the embodiment of the plot, but, above all, the transmission of elusive moods that are born in our minds through images of real life.

Attention should be paid to the distinctive features of Grieg's composer's writing. This is, first of all, the composer's melody, permeated with intonations typical of Norwegian music: such as, for example, a characteristic move from the first step of the mode through the introductory tone to the fifth (into the dominant mode). This intonation plays a big role in many of Grieg's works (for example, the Piano Concerto). Grigov's intonation. as a certain melodic turn, has become a kind of national emblem of the composer.

Rhythm is of great importance for Grieg. An essential feature of Norwegian dance rhythms is the predominance of pointed triplet-dotted rhythms, which Grieg widely used not only in genre-dance miniatures, but also in works of large form - in moments of dramatic tension. Folk rhythmic elements organically and naturally entered his music.

The composer's handwriting is inherent in the ultimate laconism of expression, rigor and elegance of form, while the smallest details are saturated with significant semantic expressiveness. Hence the repetitions characteristic of Grieg - literal, sequential, variant.

§ 2. Acquaintance of students with the work of Grieg in the process of studying it.

Getting acquainted with the works of Grieg, it should be noted that his work is inextricably linked with the historical development of Norwegian culture and with the tendencies of Norwegian public life in the middle of the 19th century. For a long time, Norway bore the burden of heavy dependence on neighboring countries - Denmark, Sweden, which suppressed its original culture.

The second half of the 19th century was marked by the development of the national liberation movement. The composer's work was born of this wonderful time, when in the struggle for political and cultural independence in Norway, its artistic traditions developed and strengthened, its literature, dramaturgy, and poetry flourished.

The most prominent representatives of the national revival in literature were G. Ibsen and B. Bjornson. Grieg's creative collaboration with these writers brought worldwide fame to Norwegian art. Both writers - each in their own way - had a noticeable influence on the formation of the composer's aesthetic views.

Grieg's work was also in tune with modern Norwegian fine art. Landscape painters H. Dahl, Tiedemann and Gude dedicated their work to their native nature and folk life.

H the Norwegian landscape painter H. Dahl - a subtle master of landscape chooses friendly, bright

corners of native nature:

sunny forest edge in summer, juicy meadow with a shepherdess and kids. idyllic folk

the scenes of the romantic painter are involuntarily associated with Grieg's musical landscapes: "Brook" (op. 62, no. 4), "Locke" (op. 66, no. 1). In the play "Morning" (from the first suite to "Peer Gynt"), the light, transparent melody resembles a calm, serene shepherd's tune on a green meadow.

On the canvases of the artist A. Tiedemann, we can observe the life of Norwegian peasants. Tiedemann's well-known genre painting The Wedding Procession in Hardanger (1849), imbued with an enlightened lyrical mood, vividly echoes Grieg's plays from the Peasant Dances cycle, op. 72, The Wedding Procession Passes, op. painters. Melted snow, running streams in the lyrical landscapes of F. Thaulov they are consonant with Grigov's miniature "Brook" (op. 62, no. 4). In the play "In the Spring" (op. 43, No. 6), the lyrical mood is combined with the subtlety of the image. Grieg often sings of spring, creating picturesque paintings in vocal and piano works, many of which are true gems in their genre.

K. Krog is an artist of a later period. On his canvases, labor Norway is depicted - rural and urban. Krogh has a whole gallery of expressive female portraits, in which the images of peasant and city women, representatives of the intelligentsia, are conveyed with psychological penetration. Grieg also has similar portraits - “I know this little girl” op. 17#16; Solveig's Song, Solveig's Lullaby.

Acquaintance of students with examples of Scandinavian painting and literature, of course, contributes to the development of associative thinking. The principle of developing education is realized in two aspects. The principle of developing education is realized in two aspects. The first concerns the development of the artistic and aesthetic consciousness of students, introducing them to the phenomena of world musical culture through the study of Grieg's compositions. The other is the musical-performing aspect - affects the embodiment of knowledge in the specifics of musical and performing actions.

In the practice of teaching musical performance, the main methods of working with a student are the verbal method, as well as direct visual and illustrative demonstration on the instrument. Along with the performing demonstration of the studied works, attending concerts of outstanding performers, an important place in the development of professional thinking of young musicians is occupied by the purposeful use of modern TSO, in particular, sound-reproducing devices, which make it possible to involve the necessary audio and video materials in the educational process, in this case, recordings of Grieg's compositions, made by domestic and foreign musicians-performers (D. Adni, M. Pletnev, Ya Austbo, etc.).

§3. Grieg's works in the piano class of the art school.

The piano has always been Grieg's favorite instrument. It was to this instrument, dear to him, that he was accustomed from childhood to confide his cherished thoughts. In a long string of piano collections and cycles created by him (“Poetic Pictures”, “Humoresques”, “Cycle from Folk Life”, “Album Sheets”, “Waltzes-Caprices”, “Lyric Pieces”, “Moods”) from early to In recent years, one general sphere of lyrical moods and one general tendency of poetic programmaticity can be clearly traced. This trend is most fully revealed in the cycle of "Lyric Pieces", to which the composer turned throughout almost his entire creative life.

"Lyric Pieces" make up the bulk of Grieg's piano work. They continue the type of piano chamber music that is represented by Schubert's "Musical Moments" and "Impromptu", Mendelssohn's "Songs Without Words". Immediacy of expression, lyricism, expression in the play of predominantly one mood, a tendency to small scale, simplicity and accessibility of artistic conception and technical means - these are the features of the romantic

piano miniatures, which are also characteristic of Grieg's Lyric Pieces. "Lyrical Pieces" can be called "the composer's musical diary", here Grieg "inscribed" his most diverse impressions, feelings, thoughts.

From the "Lyrical Pieces" it can be seen how much Grieg gave his thoughts and feelings to his homeland. The theme of the motherland sounds in the solemn "Native Song" (op. 12), in the calm and majestic song "In the Motherland" (op. 43), in the genre-lyrical scene "To the Motherland" (op. 62), in numerous folk-

dance pieces, conceived as genre sketches. The theme of the homeland continues in the magnificent "Musical Landscapes" by Grieg ("In the Spring" - op. 43, "Nocturne" - op. 54), in the peculiar motifs of folk-fiction plays ("Procession of the Dwarves", "Cobalt"). Live, direct sketches “from nature” (“Bird”, “Butterfly”), echoes of artistic impressions (“Song of the watchman”, written under

impression of Shakespeare's "Macbeth"), a musical portrait ("Gade"), pages of lyrical statements ("Arietta", "Impromptu Waltz", "Memoirs") - such is the circle of images of this cycle. Life impressions, fanned by lyricism, the author's lively feeling - this is the content and emotional tone of the cycle, which explains its name: "Lyric Pieces". The features of the style of "lyric plays" are as diverse as their content.

Very many plays are characterized by extreme laconicism, stingy and precise strokes of miniature; but in some plays there is a desire for picturesqueness, a wide, contrasting composition (“Procession of the Dwarves”, “Gangar”, “Nocturne”). In some pieces, one can hear the subtlety of the chamber style (“Dance of the Elves”), others sparkle with bright colors, impress with the virtuosic brilliance of the concert (“Wedding Day in Trollhaugen”).

The features of the style of "lyric plays" are as diverse as their content. Very many plays are characterized by extreme laconicism, stingy and precise strokes of miniature; but in some plays there is a desire for picturesqueness, a wide, contrasting composition (“Procession of the Dwarves”, “Gangar”, “Nocturne”). In some pieces, one can hear the subtlety of the chamber style (“Dance of the Elves”), others sparkle with bright colors, impress with the virtuosic brilliance of the concert (“Wedding Day in Trollhaugen”).

"Lyrical plays" are distinguished by a great variety of genres. Here we meet elegy and nocturne, lullaby and waltz, song and arietta. Very often, Grieg turns to the genres of Norwegian folk music (springdance, halling, gangar). The artistic value of the cycle of "Lyrical Pieces" is given by the principle of programming. Each piece opens with a title that defines its poetic image, and in each piece one is struck by the simplicity and subtlety with which it is embodied in music.

"poetic task"

Arietta

The charming theme of this piece reappears in a modified form in the most recent lyric piece, Echoes, Op. 71, No. 7, thus closing the huge league, covering the entire cycle, all ten Works.

There are three independent voices in Arietta, and the secret of success lies in the implementation of this three-voice. First, pay attention to the gentle, melancholic melody, but do not forget that the arpeggiated filling of the texture requires separate work here. It is advisable to single out a couple of voices in Arietta: bass + melody, bass + arpeggio, melody + arpeggio. Then everything will eventually unite into an inseparable trio, where, nevertheless, each voice will retain its individuality. Pay close attention to the dynamics of the bass line, use the pedal to make sure it's present without being too loud. Similar to sound

harp, the figure in the middle voice should be even and soft, and the soprano should be softly melodious. Also be careful about phrasing. The opening section consists of two-measure phrases in which the first measure is similar to the lead-in. After the first four bars, the flow of the melody becomes more differentiated. Articulation in the middle voice needs to be made more independent of other voices. This is one of the subtleties of "Arietta".

Waltz

This is the first waltz of many contained in the Lyric Pieces. Although it is often played by children, it is quite suitable for concert performance. In this case, imagine fine china and aerial ballet. Technically, this involves careful articulation and light fingertip touches on the keys. The phrasing in the right hand always remains independent of the typical waltz 3/4 time signature in the left hand.

Don't play motives marked forte, too loud. Keep in mind that

perform a miniature: make miniature and dynamics.

piano subito with a fermata in bar 18 gives a wonderful effect.

Please note that the main theme sounds twice piano but the third time pianissimo. This subtlety is important to the form of the piece. The same dynamic contrast occurs in code − piano dolce in bar 71, pianissimo in bar 77. Bar 63 and beyond sound like a waltz is about to turn into a Norwegian springar.

It seems appropriate to play quarters staccato in free rhythm.

Although Grieg did not specify this, one might consider playing the coda a little slower than the rest of the piece. Try to give it a somewhat pastoral character. The middle movement in A major can be played in a similar way. These differences, however, should be barely noticeable.

Watchman's song

The "Song of the Watchman" was very popular in Grieg's time and remains so to this day. Pay attention to the indication alla breve: Should be heard in 2/2 rather than 4/4. It will also help emphasize the simplicity that Grieg demands. withstand legato at the beginning of the piece, which sounds in unison, now three-part, now four-part. Play this part modestly, as if you were unaware of the fateful event that is about to take place.

The intermezzo from this song is famous. Imagine the cry of an owl at the moment of a murder being committed in the darkness of the night. Grieg wrote The Watchman's Song after attending a performance of Shakespeare's Macbeth, so try to reflect in your performance something of the horror of this mighty drama. Imagine that the watchman on his round notices, or rather catches a glimpse of, the atrocity that is being committed. Did he hear something, or was a blow secretly struck nearby as he walked by? Perhaps the latter interpretation is preferable. Figures from seven thirty-seconds should be very quiet, but distinct. A slight movement of the hand is necessary here, but the hand must remain as motionless as possible. Rising triplets should not suddenly become loud. Start with piano and gradually increase the volume.

Elf dance

This charming little virtuoso piece is reminiscent of Mendelssohn's music. All notes must be played with the fingertips to achieve a light, fast staccato. You will need the help of your whole hand, but keep your hand low over the keys. Wrist movements to the side are useful when you win eighths, but keep them minimal so as not to disturb the coordination of movements. This approach can easily lead to

blurred sound and inaccurate rhythm. The "dance of the elves" should be soft, light and rhythmically precise. Don't overdo it with forte. After all, you don't want to scare away the elves! However, you need to practice loudly, and then make the sound a little more thunder than pp.

Try to vividly imagine how the elves swarm around, hide, reappear and finally disappear altogether. Only in bars 29-30 and 70-72 Grieg uses the pedal. This gives the play an additional dimension - an impressionistic haze or. maybe wisps of mist where the elves disappear.

Folk chant

Grieg had an uncanny ability to create melodies with a true Norwegian sound. While the Folk Chant is undoubtedly inspired by the inexhaustible treasures of the folk music of his native country, it is undeniably his own find. Don't play "Folk Chant" too slowly: pay attention to what Grieg wrote Con moto. One of the features of the Norwegian temperament is melancholy, therefore, in order to convey this state, the play must be played simply, artlessly, sincerely. Combine two four-bar phrases at the beginning in an eight-bar period so that the second phrase sounds like a response to the first. You can gradually turn up the volume over the first four bars, and then let it go down in bars 5 to 8, and the message of eight bars will sound like a single period.

In bars 3 and 4, it is natural to give the tone a slightly lighter tone. In measure 7 it becomes darker. try to mimic a chest voice. "Folk chant" from beginning to end is like a dream. Henrik Wergeland once said of his native country that it was a beautiful, majestic lyre, full of the hope of becoming something warm and musical. This hope can be heard in the sounds of Grigov's Folk Chant.

Leaf from the album

What album could this piece be from? Maybe a secret love letter from Grieg's youth? In the play, one can feel the inconstancy inherent in early youth. Whether he is writing to her or she to him remains unknown, but it is clear that both are involved. Dialogue is especially audible in eight-bar periods. Undoubtedly, "he" (the melody in the tenor voice) speaks for sixteen continuous measures, but still "she" (the melody in the soprano voice) reserves both the first and the last word. The grace notes should not be too long, otherwise the piece will sound archaic. to make them short, "think to the right," that is, consider them to belong to the next rather than the preceding note. In practice, play them almost simultaneously, then gradually separate. In a dialogue between the right and left hands, never play a given motive twice in the same way. Use your imagination! You can turn a play into an exciting short conversation, secretly recorded on the page of someone's personal album.

Kobold
in the mythology of Northern Europe was good-natured brownie . However, in response to neglect, he could arrange chaos and disorder in the house. In Germanic mythology, Kobold is a special kind elves or alves . Kobolds are credited with playing tricks on people, they are constantly messing around and making noise. They are described in the form dwarfs , usually ugly; their color from the fire in the hearth is bright red.

Minuet ("Past Days")

The play is written in a complex three-part form and is built on a contrasting comparison of the first, minor, and middle, major, parts. Despite the sharp change of mood and tonal contrast, the play is a complete whole, thanks to the motive-thematic unity between sections.

The first movement of the Minuet is written in a simple two-movement form. The second part is a written reprise, but in a somewhat changed form.

The theme of the first part of the Minuet consists of two elements: a lively, danceable one and a more calm, measured one. The main performance difficulties of the first section of the first part: rhythmic accuracy (dotted rhythm, triplets, polyrhythm); good scoring of double notes (with a predominance of upper sound), maintaining a long sound line, accurate dynamics. In addition, here is the first climax.

The second section of the first movement is characterized by great liveliness brought by the left hand and a very bright development of the climax, accompanied by tonal instability, the use of octave and chord techniques and large dynamic shifts from pianissimo to fortissimo. A lot of work requires free, bright performance of octaves and chords. A peculiar difficulty is the last introduction of the theme at the end of the first part, it removes the climactic intensity and returns us to the original mood. The middle part of the Minuet (siringar) also consists of two sections, in turn, each section is divided into 3 sentences. The most striking, impulsive, climactic is the third sentence. It is built on the basis of octave and chord technique, the stretto technique is used here. It seems that the theme here reaches its intensity and suddenly and unexpectedly breaks off at the last, final chord. In order to return to the original mood, Grieg uses a small link in D major here, it should be played pianissimo and at a slower tempo. The second section of the middle part completely repeats the first section, but at a livelier pace, with a brighter

sonority.

Song about the motherland

It was Christmas Eve, and Bjornstjørn Bjornson is said to have run up the stairs of Grieg's Oslo apartment, shouting "I found the lyrics for the Norwegian national anthem!" Grieg had already written #8 and played it for Bjornson; he liked the play so much that he decided to write words for it - 32 lines, no less! The piece didn't end up being the Norwegian national anthem, but it should be played that way. It must be rhythmic to match the title and direction. maestoso. Play half notes in free

manner and with enough use of the pedal to achieve a bell-like sound, keep them going for their full duration.

Contrasting piano from measure 9 should sound as much as possible legato- like a brass band playing softly and seamlessly.

"Lone Wanderer"

Imagine the majestic Norwegian rocks, swirling waterfalls that fall from the cliffs with a roar and roar in summer, and freeze into bizarre transparent statues in winter. The thick ice on the lakes is so transparent that you can see frightened fish rushing about under it. Listen to the music playing. It's called The Lonely Wanderer. Isn't it true that a person passing through the mountainous country of Norway looks admiringly at the world around him?

"Butterfly"

One of the finest examples of Grieg's refined chromatic style. The music (with its play of harmonic colors) is very elegant and exemplifies the light, transparent, openwork sides of Grieg's pianism. This music is in contact with Chopin. This is not the easiest repertoire, but it is necessary for the possession of romantic pianism. It is important to find a technique for the execution of this complex texture, only through the accuracy of the technique is an adequate artistic embodiment of the image of a butterfly possible. The feeling of positionality is very important, and also necessary for the development of finger legato, which is the basis of melody in the romantic repertoire, as in Chopin, Debussy, Grieg. One of the difficulties of the play is the change of textural tasks. The performer needs the ability to rebuild and change the technique in order to find an adequate artistic result.

"Bird"

An example of Grieg's rare gift to create an accurate and delicate drawing with a few strokes. The melody of the piece is woven from short "singing" trills and "jumping" rhythm. The invoice is extremely stingy, transparent; dominated by bright ringing sounds of the upper register. The gloomy tones of the middle part only brighten the clarity of the initial image. “Fluttering” figurines of the code create a feeling of lightness, spaciousness. In The Little Bird, Grieg uses refined means to draw jumping and jumping birds with their chirping motifs in the opening bars. This motive material builds up and varies in the course of a piece of music both naturally and logically – so that the whole appears as a masterpiece of musical harmony, and yet the piece has only 36 bars! This is an example of true greatness in small things. This music carries a reflection of the world and nature. The author dictated the motor task. The piece develops a sense of spatiality in music and allows you to feel the freedom and joy of transferring your hand from one register to another, the joy of movement, relying on an image. This piece is useful for a restrained child.

"Spring"

This is a whole poem with a brief but very expressive development. The charm of this generalized poetic image of spring is irresistible. Restrained expressive means are differentiated with great, exacting skill: here every change of register, every turn of harmony, every expansion or contraction of texture plays its role. The image of spring given in this play has become one of the most "Grigian" - not only because of the usual characteristic of many intonational turns, but also as an expression of the highest immediacy in a completely strict form. It is impossible not to notice the innovation of this image in essence. Spring at Grieg not only breathes with fresh joy, not only flows in streams, it also “drips” all the time. This intonation feature of “dripping” is wonderfully found from the very first bars and gives the entire music the integrity of local color.

In this play, as in the previous ones, the lyrical mood

combined with the subtlety of the picturesque image. One of the most important

means of expression here is a well-found quivering - ringing instrumental texture (rehearsals of accompanying chords in a light and sonorous upper register, against which a singsong, freely rhythmic melody unfolds), creating the impression of air, light, space. Without resorting to complex technical techniques, Grieg achieves new and fresh, impressive sound effects. This is one of the reasons for the enormous popularity of Grieg's piece, which, along with Nocturne (op. 54), became one of the composer's most beloved and widely known piano miniatures. In this piece, it is important to master the “apartment” stroke, as well as the singsong “legato” in the melody. The main difficulty arises where the melody is duplicated in a different register. It is necessary to play it pianistically differentiated. The 3rd line appears in the piece - chord vibration. A long pedal is important here in order to ensure the sound of long durations. Grieg thinks in an orchestral way. Three lines bring up the attitude to the piano texture, as to an orchestral score. The feeling of life surrounding us, the connection with the musical incarnation - this is striking in Grieg. It makes you believe the accuracy of the image, follow the music in emotional perception. The play is written in a variational, 3-part form, designed for the 7th grade of a music school.

"Procession of the Dwarves"

One of the great examples of Grieg's musical fantasy. In the contrasting composition of the play, the bizarreness of the fairy-tale world, the underground kingdom of trolls and the bewitching beauty and clarity of nature are opposed to each other. The play is written in three parts. The extreme parts are distinguished by bright dynamism: in the rapid movement, the fantastic outlines of the “procession” flicker. Musical means are extremely stingy: motor rhythm and against its background a whimsical and sharp pattern of metrical accents, syncopation; chromatisms compressed in tonic harmony and scattered, hard-sounding large seventh chords; "knocking" melody and sharp "whistling" melodic figurines; dynamic contrasts (pp-ff) between two period sentences and broad slurs of sonority rise and fall. The image of the middle part is revealed to the listener only after the fantastic visions have disappeared (a long “La”, from which a new melody seems to pour out). The light sound of the theme, simple in structure, is associated with the sound of a folk melody. Its pure, clear structure was reflected in the simplicity and severity of the harmonic structure (alternating the major tonic and its parallel).

The mysterious "Procession of the Dwarves" continues the tradition of the fantastic scenes of "Peer Gynt. However, Grieg puts into this miniature a touch of subtle, sly humor, which is not and cannot be in the characterization of the gloomy underworld of Ibsen's "Mountain King". Here, little trolls - funny freaks - no longer resemble the evil "spirits of darkness." A ray of light penetrates the mysterious magical realm: the simple folk melody of the major trio, the murmuring passages, like trickles of a stream, speak of the nature surrounding the fairy-tale heroes - quite real, charmingly bright and beautiful. The play brings emancipation, the courage necessary for an adequate realization of the idea. The bold movement of the five-finger formula in different registers contributes to liberation, the acquisition of confidence. In the left hand, the accuracy of hitting in an octave procession is needed, it must be built, a technique must be found so that the left hand is an equal component of the artistic image. It is important to avoid throwing in the octave technique. Ellipsis movements are necessary - emphasis on the first beat, then a downward throw, but not burdened, not competing with the leading voice, the stepwise movement of the strong beat.

"Nocturne"

Amazing in subtlety lyrical landscape. The glare of nature is written out here, it seems, with picturesque clarity, but not a single “picturesque” detail falls out of the general, deeply lyrical tone of the “picture”. "Nocturne" is written in a dynamic three-part form. The basis of the first part is a lyrical melody. “Open” melodic phrases directed upwards, tension of chromaticisms in harmony, leading away from the clear gravity and stability of the tonic, unexpected soft and colorful tonal turns - all this gives the image a romantic unsteadiness, subtlety of nuances. But let's remember the beginning of the melody: it grows out of a short tune of the folk warehouse, as if coming from afar. Simple and understandable, evoking figurative (landscape) associations, it is not included in the further development of the melody, as if remaining a living, “objective” impression. Just as naturally, continuing the lyrical image, pictorial images arise: trills of birds, a slight breath of the breeze. With the skill of a colorist, Grieg managed to give color, timbre certainty to each theme. The initial melody evokes the timbre of the horn in the presentation, the lyrical spill of the melody - the warm sound of bowed instruments, the light iridescent trills - the sonorous and clear sound of the flute. This is how orchestral features are introduced into the piano sonority. In "Nocturne" one can trace the conciseness of Grieg's style. Here the expressive value of the smallest musical detail is great: register contrasts, change of time signature from smooth, fluid to lighter and more mobile, contrasts of intense development of harmony at the beginning, statics in the trill theme and colorful harmonic juxtapositions in the middle (Piu mosso, non-chords in terts and tritone ratio), figurative contrasts and their musical connection. Important in "Nocturne" and proportions in the ratio of parts: the middle part, light, airy, significantly compressed compared to the extreme parts. In the reprise, the spill of the lyrics is stronger, brighter. The short and strong climax of the theme sounds like an expression of full, enthusiastic feeling. The end of “Nocturne” is interesting: the intensive development of the melody is translated into the sphere of colorful harmonies (sequence on a long chain of chromatically descending seventh chords). The “trilling” motive unexpectedly comes up when the rumor is waiting for the appearance of the initial tune. Already devoid of harmonic brilliance, with a sad repetition - “echo” (half a step lower), it sounds like a distant echo.

Nocturne creates a feeling of spring or summer nature, sound space. A difficult task is set in mastering the polyrhythm. The middle part of the piece is the rising of the northern sun. The piece is invaluable in terms of pedaling, it contributes to mastering the art of pedalization. In "Nocturne" there are specific images that have a rich timbre colorful sound.

“Ringing the Bells” is the purest exercise in sound writing. In terms of its harmony, this daring impressionistic experiment has no analogue in Grieg's contemporary music. The composer's goal is not melodic beauty, but an almost realistic re-creation of the impression that arises from the chime of bells, a static feeling, not to say monotonous. A series of parallel fifths are placed in syncopation against each other in the left and right hands, and thanks to the pedal, sound masses rich in overtones are created that literally tremble in the air. This play is a single phenomenon in the work of Grieg. Here, new trends in impressionistic sound painting were clearly identified.

The composer was especially fond of this work, inspired, in his words, by the impression of the morning chime of the Bergen bells. Without destroying the functional basis of harmony, Grieg at the same time highlights its purely sound, colorful expressiveness. The usual structure of chords is also violated: the piece is built on combinations and stratifications of fifth harmonies that have different functions (layering of subdominant on tonic, dominant on subdominant).

Colorful overflows of fifth harmonies create a picturesque effect of distant ringing resounding in a mountain valley. In the piece "The Bell Ringing" the concreteness of the image dictates the solution of pedal technical problems. This is education of the ears, associative imagery.

Conclusion

Grieg's works, by virtue of their rich and multifaceted imagery,

picturesque illustrativeness, colorfulness of color create an optimal condition for the formation of artistic and imaginative thinking of musicians, contribute to the strengthening of associative links in their minds between music and other types of art, initiate the development of the whole complex of general and special musical abilities.

Grieg's piano compositions naturally introduce the student into the sphere

pianistic culture of the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries; work on these compositions significantly expands the arsenal of expressive and technical (performing) techniques and means necessary for the professional activity of musicians.

Piano Works: "Poetic Pictures" (1863). "Ballad" (1876). "Lyrical plays" (10 notebooks). "Norwegian Dances and Songs".

Bibliography

1. Asafiev, B. V. Grig - L .: Music: Leningrad branch, 1986.

2. Alekseev A.D. Methods of teaching piano playing. – M.: 1961.

3. Benestad F., Schelderup-Ebbe D. Edvard Grieg - man and artist; - M.:

Rainbow, 1986.

4. Demenko N. V. Music by E. Grieg in the educational process at

music faculties of pedagogical educational institutions:

material of classes in musical and performing classes. - M., 2002.

5. Druskin M. S. Grieg and Norwegian culture. M., "Music", 1964.

6. Ibsen G. Selected works. M.: Art, 1956.

7. Ilyin I. A. The path of spiritual renewal. - M., "Republic", 1993.

8. Levasheva O. E. Edvard Grieg. Essay on life and work. M., "Music",

9. Steen-Nockleberg, E. On Stage with Grieg: Piano Interpretation

composer's works. - M.: "Verge-AV", 1999.

Edvard Grieg was born in Bergen in 1843 into a wealthy family. Grieg's ancestors moved to Norway as early as 1770 and since then all the older males in the family have served as British vice-consuls. The composer's grandfather and father, as well as his mother, were excellent musicians; Grieg himself was first imprisoned for the instrument at the age of 4. At the age of 12, the future "genius of the Norwegian romance" wrote his first work, and after completing his studies at school, he entered the Leipzig Conservatory, founded by Mendelssohn himself. There he studied from 1858 to 1862.

In Leipzig, where R. Shumen lived at that time, and earlier J. Bach spent his last years, Grieg got acquainted with the work of such brilliant composers as Schubert, Chopin, Beethoven, Wagner, but still he singled out R. Schumann most of all . In his early works, the influence of this composer is felt.

The beginning of the creative path

In 1863, Grieg returned to his native city, but it was difficult to develop success and talent in small Bergen, and he left to live and work in Copenhagen. It was there that Grieg began to think about the revival of the national Scandinavian culture. In 1864, together with like-minded people, he founded the Euterpe society, the main goal of whose members was to familiarize Norwegians with the works of Scandinavian composers.

At this time, the musician actively worked and released many different musical works, including stories based on fairy tales by H. H. Andersen, An. Munch and others.

Marriage

Grieg was married (since 1867) to his maternal cousin Nina Hagerup, who was herself a famous singer with a classical and very melodic soprano voice.

Jobs in Oslo

In 1866, due to family problems (relatives did not accept the marriage of young people; such a family union was not considered traditional in Norway), Grieg moved to Oslo (then Christiania) with his bride. At that time, the composer worked hard and fruitfully, creating his best masterpieces.

In 1868 Franz Liszt heard the works for violin by the young author. He liked them extremely, about which he wrote in a letter to Grieg. Liszt's letter had a very strong influence on the composer, he realized that he was moving in the right direction and that musical experiments should be continued.

In 1871 he founded the Oslo Philharmonic Society, which still exists today. In the hall of the Society one could hear the music of Liszt, Schubert, Chopin, Mozart, Wagner, Beethoven, Schumann. Many of the works of the Norwegian audience heard for the first time there.

streak of recognition

In 1874, the composer received a lifetime scholarship from the Oslo authorities, and in 1876 he received worldwide recognition.

After several musical seasons, Grieg was able to afford to leave the metropolitan life and return to Bergen.

last years of life

In 1883, Grieg was diagnosed with tuberculosis, affected by the damp and cold climate of Bergen. In the same year, his wife left the composer (the relationship between them became more complicated after the death of their only daughter from meningitis). Grieg lived alone for some time, but then he found the strength to make peace with his wife and move to live in the villa Trollhaugen, built according to his order and project.

In 1898, he organized the Norwegian Music Festival in Bergen, which is still held today.

The composer died in 1907 in his native Bergen from tuberculosis. The death was unexpected, mourning was declared throughout Norway. Grieg was buried on the bank of the fjord, not far from his villa, in the bosom of his beloved Norwegian nature.

Other biography options

• Judging by the brief biography of Edvard Grieg, he was an academician of the Royal Swiss Academy, an academician of the French Academy of Fine Arts, and an honorary professor at several universities, including Cambridge.
• Grieg was very fond of fishing and often went out into the countryside to go fishing with friends. Among his friends, lovers of fishing, was the famous conductor Franz Bayer.

• Piano Sonata in E minor, op. 7 (1865)
• Sonata No. 1 for violin and piano in F major, op. 8 (1865)
• "In Autumn" for piano four hands, op. 11, also for orchestra (1866)
• Lyric Pieces, 10 collections, from 1866 (op. 12) to 1901 (op. 71).
• Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano in G major, op. 13 (1867)
• Concerto for piano and orchestra, op. 16 (1868)
• Sigurd the Crusader, op. 22, music for a play by Bjornstjerne Bjornson (1872)
• "Peer Gynt", op. 23, music for a play by Henrik Ibsen (1875)
• String Quartet in G minor, op. 27 (1877-1878)
• Norwegian Dances for piano four hands, op. 35, also for orchestra (1881)
• Sonata for cello and piano, op. 36 (1882)
• Sonata No. 3 for violin and piano in C minor, op. 45 (1886-1887)
• Symphonic Dances, op. 64 (1898).

Grieg's legacy

Today, the work of Edvard Grieg is highly revered, especially in Norway. Leif Ove Andsnes, one of the most famous modern Norwegian musicians, actively performs his compositions as a pianist and conductor. Grieg's plays are used in artistic and cultural events. Various musical performances, figure skating scenarios and other productions are staged.

"Trollhaugen", where the composer lived part of his life, has become a house-museum open to the public. Here, visitors are shown the native walls of the composer, his estate, and interiors. Things that belonged to the composer - a coat, hat and violin, still hang on the wall of his working house. Near the estate there is a life-size statue of Grieg and his working hut.

In modern culture

• Carl Stalling, composer for Warner Bros., often used the tune from the play "Morning" to illustrate morning scenes in cartoons.
• The musical play "The Multicolored Chimney Sweep" (1957), based on a story by the Brothers Grimm, used exclusively Grieg's music.
• The musical The Song of Norway (1970) is based on the events of Grieg's life and uses his music.
• Rainbow - Hall of the Mountain King (album Stranger in Us All, 1995) is a hard rock composition based on the music of the play "In the Hall of the Mountain King" with lyrics by Candice Knight (wife of Ritchie Blackmore, the band's guitarist). The song Vikingtid by the Russian pagan metal band Butterfly Temple from the album "Dreams of the North Sea" also contains fragments of this work by Grieg.
• The first movement of the piano concerto is used in the Adrian Lyne film Lolita (1997).

Bergen Public Library Norway / Edvard Grieg by the piano

Edvard Hagerup Grieg (Norwegian Edvard Hagerup Grieg; June 15, 1843 - September 4, 1907) - Norwegian composer of the Romantic period, musical figure, pianist, conductor.

Edvard Grieg was born and spent his youth in Bergen. The city was famous for its national creative traditions, especially in the field of theater: Henrik Ibsen and Bjornstjerne Bjornson began their activities here. Ole Bull was born and lived in Bergen for a long time, who was the first to notice Edward's musical gift (who composed music from the age of 12) and advised his parents to assign him to the Leipzig Conservatory, which took place in the summer of 1858.

One of Grieg's most famous works to this day is considered the second suite - "Peer Gynt", which includes the pieces: "Ingrid's Complaint", "Arabian Dance", "Peer Gynt's Return to his Homeland", "Solveig's Song".

The dramatic piece is Ingrid's Complaint, one of the dance melodies that sounded at the wedding of Edvard Grieg and Nina Hagerup, who was the composer's cousin. The marriage of Nina Hagerup and Edvard Grieg gave the couple a daughter, Alexandra, who died of meningitis after one year of life, which began to cool relations between the spouses.

Grieg published 125 songs and romances. About twenty more plays by Grieg were published posthumously. In his lyrics, he turned almost exclusively to the poets of Denmark and Norway, and occasionally to German poetry (G. Heine, A. Chamisso, L. Ulanda). The composer showed an interest in Scandinavian literature, and in particular in the literature of his native language.

Grieg died in his native city - Bergen - on September 4, 1907 in Norway. The composer is buried in the same grave with his wife Nina Hagerup.

Biography

Childhood

Edvard Grieg was born on June 15, 1843 in Bergen, the son of a descendant of a Scottish merchant. Edward's father, Alexander Grieg, served as the British consul in Bergen, his mother, Gesina Hagerup, was a pianist who graduated from the Hamburg Conservatory, which usually only accepted men. Edward, his brother and three sisters were taught music from childhood, as was customary in wealthy families. For the first time, the future composer sat down at the piano at the age of four. At the age of ten, Grieg was sent to a comprehensive school. However, his interests lay in a completely different area, in addition, the boy's independent nature often pushed him to deceive teachers. According to the composer's biographers, in the elementary grades, Edward, having learned that students who got wet under frequent rains in his homeland, were allowed to go home to change into dry clothes, Edward began to wet his clothes on the way to school. Since he lived far from school, classes were just finishing by the time he returned.

At the age of twelve, Edvard Grieg was already composing his own music. Classmates gave him the nickname "Mozac" because he was the only one who correctly answered the teacher's question about the author of "Requiem": the rest of the students did not know about Mozart. In music lessons, Edward was a mediocre student, despite his genius for music. Contemporaries of the composer tell how one day Edward brought to school a music notebook signed "Variations on a German theme by Edvard Grieg op. No. 1". The class mentor showed visible interest and even leafed through it. Grieg was already looking forward to great success. However, the teacher suddenly pulled his hair and hissed: “Next time, bring a German dictionary, but leave this nonsense at home!”

early years

The first of the musicians who determined the fate of Grieg was the famous violinist Ole Bull, who was also an acquaintance of the Grieg family. In the summer of 1858, Bull was visiting the Grieg family, and Edward, in order to respect his dear guest, played a couple of his own compositions on the piano. Listening to music, the usually smiling Ole suddenly became serious and quietly said something to Alexander and Gesina. Then he approached the boy and announced: “You are going to Leipzig to become a composer!”

Thus, the fifteen-year-old Edvard Grieg got into the Leipzig Conservatory. In the new educational institution, founded by Felix Mendelssohn, Grieg was far from satisfied with everyone: for example, his first piano teacher Louis Plaidy, with his inclination towards the music of the early classical period, turned out to be so dissonant with Grieg that he turned to the administration of the conservatory with a request for a transfer (in Later Grieg studied with Ernst Ferdinand Wenzel, Moritz Hauptmann, Ignaz Moscheles). After that, the gifted student went to the Gewandhaus concert hall, where he listened to the music of Schumann, Mozart, Beethoven and Wagner. “I could listen to a lot of good music in Leipzig, especially chamber and orchestral music,” Grieg later recalled. Edvard Grieg graduated from the conservatory in 1862 with excellent grades, acquired knowledge, mild pleurisy and purpose in life. According to the professors, during the years of study he showed himself as "a highly significant musical talent", especially in the field of composition, as well as an outstanding "pianist with his characteristic thoughtful and full of expressive manner of performance." His destiny now and forever was music. In the same year, in the Swedish city of Karlshamn, he gave his first concert.

Life in Copenhagen

After graduating from the conservatory, the educated musician Edvard Grieg returned to Bergen with an ardent desire to work in his homeland. However, Grieg's stay in his hometown this time was short-lived. The talent of the young musician could not be improved in the conditions of the poorly developed musical culture of Bergen. In 1863, Grieg traveled to Copenhagen, the center of the musical life of the then Scandinavia.

The years spent in Copenhagen were marked by many events that were important for Grieg's creative life. First of all, Grieg is in close contact with Scandinavian literature and art. He meets prominent representatives of it, for example, the famous Danish poet and storyteller Hans Christian Andersen. This involves the composer in the mainstream of the national culture close to him. Grieg writes songs based on texts by Andersen and the Norwegian romantic poet Andreas Munch.

In Copenhagen, Grieg found an interpreter of his works, the singer Nina Hagerup, who soon became his wife. The creative community of Edvard and Nina Grieg continued throughout their life together. The subtlety and artistry with which the singer performed Grieg's songs and romances were that high criterion for their artistic embodiment, which the composer always had in mind when creating his vocal miniatures.

The desire of young composers to develop national music was expressed not only in their work, in the connection of their music with folk music, but also in the promotion of Norwegian music. In 1864, in collaboration with Danish musicians, Grieg and Rikard Nurdrok organized the Euterpe Musical Society, which was supposed to acquaint the public with the works of Scandinavian composers. This was the beginning of a great musical and social, educational activity. During the years of his life in Copenhagen (1863-1866), Grieg wrote many musical works: “Poetic Pictures” and “Humoresques”, a piano sonata and the first violin sonata. With each new work, the image of Grieg as a Norwegian composer emerges more clearly.

In the lyrical work "Poetic Pictures" (1863), national features are very timidly broken through. The rhythmic figure underlying the third piece is often found in Norwegian folk music; it became characteristic of many of Grieg's melodies. The graceful and simple outlines of the melody in the fifth "picture" are reminiscent of some of the folk songs. In the juicy genre sketches of Humoresque (1865), the sharp rhythms of folk dances and harsh harmonic combinations sound much bolder; there is a Lydian modal coloring characteristic of folk music. However, in "Humoresques" one can still feel the influence of Chopin (his mazurkas) - a composer whom Grieg, by his own admission, "adored". At the same time as Humoresques, the piano and first violin sonatas appeared. The drama and impetuosity inherent in the piano sonata seem to be a somewhat outward reflection of Schumann's romance. On the other hand, the bright lyricism, hymnism, and bright colors of the violin sonata reveal the figurative structure typical of Grieg.

Personal life

Edvard Grieg and Nina Hagerup grew up together in Bergen, but as an eight-year-old girl, Nina moved to Copenhagen with her parents. When Edward saw her again, she was already an adult girl. A childhood friend turned into a beautiful woman, a singer with a beautiful voice, as if created to perform Grieg's plays. Previously in love only with Norway and music, Edward felt that he was losing his mind from passion. At Christmas 1864, in a salon where young musicians and composers gathered, Grieg presented Nina with a collection of sonnets about love, called Melodies of the Heart, and then knelt down and offered to become his wife. She held out her hand to him and agreed.

However, Nina Hagerup was Edward's cousin. Relatives turned away from him, parents cursed. Against all odds, they married in July 1867 and, unable to endure the pressure of their relatives, moved to Christiania.

The first year of marriage was typical for a young family - happy, but financially difficult. Grieg composed, Nina performed his works. Edward had to get a job as a conductor and teach piano to save the family's financial situation. In 1868 they had a daughter, who was named Alexandra. A year later, the girl will fall ill with meningitis and die. What happened put an end to the future happy life of the family. After the death of her daughter, Nina withdrew into herself. However, the couple continued their joint concert activity.

They traveled around Europe with concerts: Grieg played, Nina Hagerup sang. But their tandem has not received wide recognition. Edward began to despair. His music did not find a response in the hearts, relations with his beloved wife cracked. In 1870, Edward and his wife came on tour to Italy. One of those who heard his works in Italy was the famous composer Franz Liszt, whom Grieg admired in his youth. Liszt appreciated the talent of the twenty-year-old composer and invited him to a private meeting. After listening to a piano concerto, the sixty-year-old composer approached Edward, squeezed his hand and said: “Keep it up, we have all the data for this. Don't let yourself be intimidated!" “It was something like a blessing,” Grieg later wrote.

In 1872, Grieg wrote "Sigurd the Crusader" - the first significant play, after which the Swedish Academy of Arts recognized his merits, and the Norwegian authorities appointed him a lifetime scholarship. But world fame tired the composer, and the confused and tired Grieg left for his native Bergen, away from the hubbub of the capital.

In solitude, Grieg wrote his main work - music for Henrik Ibsen's drama Peer Gynt. It embodied his experiences of that time. The melody "In the Hall of the Mountain King" (1) reflected the violent spirit of Norway, which the composer liked to show in his works. The world of hypocritical European cities, full of intrigues, gossip and betrayal, was recognizable in the "Arabian Dance". The final episode - "Song of Solveig", a poignant and exciting melody - spoke of the lost and forgotten and not forgiven.

Death

Unable to get rid of heartache, Grieg went into creativity. From dampness in his native Bergen, pleurisy worsened, there was a fear that he could turn into tuberculosis. Nina Hagerup moved further and further away. The slow agony lasted eight years: in 1883 she left Edward. For three long months Edward lived alone. But an old friend, Franz Beyer, convinced Edward to meet his wife again. “There are so few truly close people in the world,” he told a lost friend.

Edvard Grieg and Nina Hagerup reunited and, as a sign of reconciliation, went on tour to Rome, and upon their return they sold their house in Bergen, buying a wonderful estate in the suburbs, which Grieg called "Trollhaugen" - "Troll Hill". It was the first house that Grieg really fell in love with.

Over the years, Grieg became more and more withdrawn. He was little interested in life - he left his home only for the sake of the tour. Edward and Nina have been to Paris, Vienna, London, Prague, Warsaw. During each performance, a clay frog lay in the pocket of Grieg's jacket. Before the start of each concert, he always took it out and stroked its back. The talisman worked: at the concerts every time there was an unimaginable success.

In 1887, Edward and Nina Hagerup were again in Leipzig. They were invited to the New Year's Eve by the outstanding Russian violinist Adolf Brodsky (later the first performer of Grieg's Third Violin Sonata). In addition to Grieg, two more eminent guests were present - Johann Brahms and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The latter became a close friend of the couple, a lively correspondence ensued between the composers. Later, in 1905, Edward wanted to come to Russia, but this was prevented by the chaos of the Russo-Japanese War and the composer's ill health. In 1889, in protest against the Dreyfus affair, Grieg canceled a performance in Paris.

Increasingly, Grieg had problems with his lungs, it became more difficult to go on tour. Despite this, Grieg continued to create and strive for new goals. In 1907, the composer was going to go to a music festival in England. He and Nina stayed at a small hotel in their hometown of Bergen to wait for a ship to London. Edward got worse there and had to go to the hospital. Edvard Grieg died in his native city on September 4, 1907.

Musical and creative activity

The first period of creativity. 1866-1874

From 1866 to 1874, this intense period of musical, performing and composing work continued. Closer to the autumn of 1866, in the capital of Norway, Christiania, Edvard Grieg organized a concert that sounded like a report on the achievements of Norwegian composers. Then Grieg's piano and violin sonatas, Nurdrok's and Hjerulf's songs (to texts by Bjornson and others) were performed. This concert allowed Grieg to become the conductor of the Christian Philharmonic Society. Grieg devoted eight years of his life in Christiania to hard work, which brought him many creative victories. Grieg's conducting activity was in the nature of musical enlightenment. The concerts included symphonies by Haydn and Mozart, Beethoven and Schumann, works by Schubert, oratorios by Mendelssohn and Schumann, excerpts from Wagner's operas. Grieg paid great attention to the performance of works by Scandinavian composers.

In 1871, together with Johan Swensen, Grieg organized a society of performing musicians, designed to increase the activity of the city's concert life, to reveal the creative possibilities of Norwegian musicians. Significant for Grieg was his rapprochement with the leading representatives of Norwegian poetry and artistic prose. It included the composer in the general movement for national culture. Creativity Grieg these years has reached full maturity. He wrote a piano concerto (1868) and a second sonata for violin and piano (1867), the first book of Lyric Pieces, which became his favorite type of piano music. Many songs were written by Grieg in those years, among them wonderful songs to texts by Andersen, Bjornson, Ibsen.

While in Norway, Grieg comes into contact with the world of folk art, which has become the source of his own creativity. In 1869, the composer first got acquainted with the classical collection of Norwegian musical folklore, compiled by the famous composer and folklorist L.M. Lindeman (1812-1887). The immediate result of this was Grieg's cycle "Norwegian Folk Songs and Dances for Piano". Images presented here: favorite folk dances - halling and springdance, various comic and lyrical, labor and peasant songs. Academician B. V. Asafiev aptly called these adaptations “sketches of songs”. This cycle was for Grieg a kind of creative laboratory: in contact with folk songs, the composer found those methods of musical writing that were rooted in folk art itself. Only two years separate the second violin sonata from the first. Nevertheless, the Second Sonata "is distinguished by the richness and variety of themes, the freedom of their development" - say music critics.

The Second Sonata and the Piano Concerto were highly acclaimed by Liszt, who became one of the first promoters of the concerto. In a letter to Grieg, Liszt wrote about the Second Sonata: "It testifies to a strong, deep, inventive, excellent composer's talent, which can only follow its own, natural path in order to achieve high perfection." For the composer, who made his way in the art of music, for the first time representing the music of Norway in the European arena, Liszt's support has always been a strong support.

In the early 70s, Grieg was busy with the idea of ​​an opera. Musical dramas and theater became a great inspiration for him. Grieg's ideas were not realized mainly because there were no traditions of opera culture in Norway. In addition, the libretto promised to Grieg was not written. From the attempt to create an opera, only the music for individual scenes of Bjornson's unfinished libretto Olaf Trygvason (1873), according to the legend of King Olaf, who planted Christianity among the inhabitants of Norway in the 10th century, remained. Grieg writes music for Bjornson's dramatic monologue "Bergliot" (1871), which tells about the heroine of a folk saga who raises the peasants to fight the king, as well as music for the drama of the same author "Sigurd Jursalfar" (the plot of the Old Icelandic saga).

In 1874, Grieg received a letter from Ibsen with a proposal to compose music for a production of the drama Peer Gynt. Collaboration with the most talented writer of Norway was of great interest to the composer. By his own admission, Grieg was "a fanatical admirer of many of his poetic works, especially Peer Gynt." Hot enthusiasm for the work of Ibsen coincided with Grieg's desire to create a major musical and theatrical work. During 1874, Grieg wrote the music for Ibsen's drama.

Second period. Concert activity. Europe. 1876-1888

The performance of Peer Gynt in Christiania on 24 February 1876 was a great success. Grieg's music in Europe began to become popular. A new creative period begins in the life of the composer. Grieg stops working as a conductor in Christiania. Grieg moves to a secluded area in the beautiful nature of Norway: first it is Lofthus, on the shore of one of the fiords, and then the famous Troldhaugen (“troll hill”, the name given to the place by Grieg himself), in the mountains, not far from his native Bergen. From 1885 until the death of Grieg, Troldhaugen was the main residence of the composer. In the mountains "healing and new life energy" come, in the mountains "new ideas grow", from the mountains Grieg returns "as a new and better person". Grieg's letters often contained similar descriptions of the mountains and nature of Norway. So writes Grieg in 1897:

“I saw such beauties of nature that I had no idea about ... A huge chain of snowy mountains with fantastic shapes rose directly from the sea, while the dawn in the mountains was four in the morning, a bright summer night and the whole landscape was as if painted with blood. It was unique!

Songs written under the inspiration of Norwegian nature - “In the Forest”, “Hut”, “Spring”, “The Sea Shines in Bright Rays”, “Good Morning”.

Since 1878, Grieg has performed not only in Norway, but also in various European countries as a performer of his own works. Grieg's European fame is growing. Concert trips take on a systematic character, they bring great pleasure to the composer. Grieg gives concerts in the cities of Germany, France, England, Holland, Sweden. He performs as a conductor and pianist, as an ensemble player, accompanying Nina Hagerup. The most modest person, Grieg in his letters notes "giant applause and countless challenges", "colossal furor", "giant success". Grieg did not leave concert activity until the end of his days; in 1907 (the year of his death) he wrote: “Invitations to conduct are pouring in from all over the world!”

Grieg's numerous trips led to the establishment of contacts with musicians from other countries. In 1888 Grieg met with P. I. Tchaikovsky in Leipzig. Having received an invitation in the year when Russia was at war with Japan, Grieg did not consider it possible for himself to accept it: “It is mysterious to me how you can invite a foreign artist to a country where almost every family mourns those who died in the war.” “It's unfortunate that this had to happen. First of all, you have to be human. All true art grows only from man. All Grieg's activities in Norway are an example of pure and selfless service to his people.

The last period of musical creativity. 1890-1903

In the 1890s, Grieg's attention was most occupied with piano music and songs. From 1891 to 1901, Grieg wrote six notebooks of Lyric Pieces. Several of Grieg's vocal cycles belong to the same years. In 1894, he wrote in one of his letters: "I ... tuned in so lyrically that songs pour from my chest like never before, and I think they are the best I have ever created." The author of numerous arrangements of folk songs, a composer always so closely associated with folk music in 1896, the cycle "Norwegian Folk Melodies" is nineteen subtle genre sketches, poetic pictures of nature and lyrical statements. Grieg's last major orchestral work, Symphonic Dances (1898), was written on folk themes.

In 1903, a new cycle of arrangements of folk dances for piano appeared. In the last years of his life, Grieg published the witty and lyrical autobiographical novel "My First Success" and the program article "Mozart and His Significance for Modernity." They vividly expressed the composer's creative credo: the desire for originality, for the definition of his style, his place in music. Despite a serious illness, Grieg continued his creative activity until the end of his life. In April 1907, the composer made a big concert trip to the cities of Norway, Denmark, and Germany.

Characteristics of works

The characteristic was compiled by Asafiev B.V. and Druskin M.A.

Lyric plays

"Lyric Pieces" make up the bulk of Grieg's piano work. Grieg's "Lyrical Pieces" continue the type of chamber piano music that is represented by Schubert's "Musical Moments" and "Impromptu" and Mendelssohn's "Songs Without Words". The immediacy of the statement, lyricism, the expression in the play of predominantly one mood, the tendency to small scale, the simplicity and accessibility of the artistic conception and technical means are the features of the romantic piano miniature, which are also characteristic of Grieg's Lyric Pieces.

Lyrical pieces fully reflect the theme of the composer's homeland, which he loved and revered so much. The theme of the Motherland sounds in the solemn "Native Song", in the calm and majestic play "At the Motherland", in the genre-lyrical skit "To the Motherland", in numerous folk dance plays conceived as genre and everyday sketches. The theme of the Motherland continues in Grieg's magnificent "musical landscapes", in the peculiar motifs of folk-fiction plays ("Procession of the Dwarves", "Kobold").

Echoes of the composer's impressions are shown in works with lively titles. Such as "Bird", "Butterfly", "Song of the watchman", written under the influence of Shakespeare's "Macbeth"), the composer's musical porter - "Gade", pages of lyrical statements "Arietta", "Impromptu Waltz", "Memoirs") - this is the circle of images of the cycle of the composer's homeland. Life impressions, covered with lyricism, the author's lively feeling - the meaning of the composer's lyrical works.

The features of the style of "lyric plays" are as diverse as their content. Very many plays are characterized by extreme laconicism, stingy and precise strokes of miniature; but in some plays there is a desire for picturesqueness, a wide, contrasting composition (“Procession of the Dwarves”, “Gangar”, “Nocturne”). In some pieces, you can hear the subtlety of the chamber style (“Dance of the Elves”), others sparkle with bright colors, impress with the virtuosic brilliance of the concert (“Wedding Day in Trollhaugen”)

"Lyrical plays" are distinguished by a great variety of genres. Here we meet elegy and nocturne, lullaby and waltz, song and arietta. Very often, Grieg turns to the genres of Norwegian folk music (springdance, halling, gangar).

The artistic integrity of the cycle of "Lyrical Pieces" is given by the principle of programming. Each piece opens with a title that defines its poetic image, and in each piece one is struck by the simplicity and subtlety with which the “poetic task” is embodied in music. Already in the first notebook of Lyrical Pieces, the artistic principles of the cycle were defined: the diversity of content and the lyrical tone of music, attention to the themes of the Motherland and the connection of music with folk origins, conciseness and simplicity, clarity and elegance of musical and poetic images.

The cycle opens with the light lyrical "Arietta". An extremely simple, childishly pure and naive melody, only a little "excited" by sensitive romance intonations, creates an image of youthful spontaneity, peace of mind. The expressive “ellipsis” at the end of the piece (the song breaks off, “freezes” at the initial intonation, it seems that the thought has gone to other spheres), as a bright psychological detail, creates a vivid feeling, a vision of the image. The melodic intonations and the texture of Arietta reproduce the character of the vocal piece.

"Waltz" is distinguished by its striking originality. Against the background of a typical waltz figure of accompaniment, an elegant and fragile melody with sharp rhythmic outlines appears. "Cranky" variable accents, triplets on a strong beat of the measure, reproducing the rhythmic figure of spring dance, bring a peculiar flavor of Norwegian music to the waltz. It is enhanced by the modal coloration characteristic of Norwegian folk music (melodic minor).

"A Leaf from an Album" combines the immediacy of lyrical feeling with the elegance, "chivalry" of an album poem. In the artless melody of this play, the intonations of a folk song are heard. But light, airy ornamentation conveys the sophistication of this simple melody. Subsequent cycles of "Lyric Pieces" bring new images and new artistic means. "Lullaby" from the second notebook of "Lyric Pieces" sounds like a dramatic scene. An even, calm melody is made up of variants of a simple chant, as if grown out of a measured movement, swaying. With each new holding, the feeling of peace and light intensifies.

"Gangar" is built on the development and variant repetitions of one theme. It is all the more interesting to note the figurative versatility of this play. The continuous, unhurried unfolding of the melody corresponds to the character of a majestic smooth dance. The intonations of flute tunes woven into the melody, a long sustained bass (a detail of the folk instrumental style), hard harmonies (a chain of large seventh chords), sometimes sounding rude, “clumsy” (as if a discordant ensemble of village musicians) - this gives the play a pastoral, rural flavor. But now new images appear: short powerful signals and response phrases of a lyrical nature. Interestingly, with a figurative change in the theme, its metro-rhythmic structure remains unchanged. With a new version of the melody, new figurative facets appear in the reprise. Light sounding in a high register, clear tonicity give the theme a calm, contemplative, solemn character. Smoothly and gradually, singing every sound of the tonality, keeping "purity" up to major, the melody descends. The thickening of the register coloration and the amplification of the sound lead the light, transparent theme to a harsh, gloomy sound. It seems that this procession of melody will never end. But now, with a sharp tonal shift (C-dur-As-dur), a new version is introduced: the theme sounds majestic, solemn, chased.

"Procession of the Dwarfs" is one of the magnificent examples of Grieg's musical fantasy. In the contrasting composition of the play, the bizarreness of the fairy-tale world, the underground kingdom of trolls and the bewitching beauty and clarity of nature are opposed to each other. The play is written in three parts. The extreme parts are distinguished by bright dynamism: in the rapid movement, the fantastic outlines of the “procession” flicker. Musical means are extremely sparse: motor rhythm and against its background a whimsical and sharp pattern of metrical accents, syncopation; chromatisms compressed in tonic harmony and scattered, hard-sounding large seventh chords; "knocking" melody and sharp "whistling" melodic figurines; dynamic contrasts (pp-ff) between two period sentences and broad slurs of rise and fall in sonority. The image of the middle part is revealed to the listener only after the fantastic visions have disappeared (a long A, from which a new melody seems to pour out). The light sound of the theme, simple in structure, is associated with the sound of a folk melody. Its pure, clear structure was reflected in the simplicity and severity of the harmonic structure (alternating the major tonic and its parallel).

"Wedding Day at Trollhaugen" is one of Grieg's most joyful, jubilant works. In terms of brightness, "catchy" musical images, scale and virtuoso brilliance, it approaches the type of a concert piece. Its character is most of all determined by the genre prototype: the movement of the march, the solemn procession lies at the heart of the play. How confidently, proudly invocative ups sound, chased rhythmic endings of melodic images. But the melody of the march is accompanied by a characteristic fifth bass, which adds to its solemnity the simplicity and charm of rural color: the piece is full of energy, movement, bright dynamics - from muffled tones, a stingy transparent texture of the beginning to sonorous ff, bravura passages, a wide range of sound. The play is written in a complex three-part form. Solemn festive images of the extreme parts are contrasted with tender lyrics of the middle one. Her melody, as if sung in a duet (the melody is imitated in an octave), is built on sensitive romance intonations. There are also contrasts in the extreme sections of the form, also three-part. The middle evokes a dance scene in the performance with a contrast of energetic courageous movement and light graceful “pas”. A huge increase in the power of sound, activity of movement leads to a bright, sonorous reprise, to a culminating performance of the theme, as if raised by the strong, powerful chords that preceded it.

The contrasting theme of the middle part, tense, dynamic, connecting active, energetic intonations with elements of recitation, introduces notes of drama. After it, in the reprise, the main theme sounds with disturbing exclamations. Its structure has been preserved, but it has taken on the character of a living statement, the tension of human speech is heard in it. The gentle lulling intonations at the top of this monologue turned into mournful pathetic exclamations. In "Lullaby" Grieg managed to convey a whole range of feelings through.

Romances and songs

Romances and songs are one of the main genres of Grieg's work. Romances and songs were mostly written by the composer in his Troldhaugen Manor (Troll Hill). Grieg created romances and songs throughout his creative life. The first cycle of romances appeared in the year of graduation from the conservatory, and the last one not long before the composer's career ended.

The passion for vocal lyrics and its wonderful flowering in Grieg's work were largely associated with the flowering of Scandinavian poetry, which aroused the composer's imagination. The poems of Norwegian and Danish poets form the basis of the vast majority of Grieg's romances and songs. Among the poetic lyrics of Grieg's songs are poems by Ibsen, Bjornson, Andersen.

In Grieg's songs, a large world of poetic images, impressions and feelings of a person arises. Pictures of nature, written brightly and picturesquely, are present in the vast majority of songs, most often as the background of a lyrical image (“In the forest”, “The hut”, “The sea shines in bright rays”). The theme of the Motherland sounds in sublime lyrical hymns (“To Norway”), in the images of its people and nature (song cycle “From the Rocks and Fjords”). In Grieg's songs, a person's life appears diverse: with the purity of youth ("Margarita"), the joy of love ("I Love You"), the beauty of labor ("Ingeborg"), with the suffering that occurs on the path of a person ("Lullaby", "Woe mother"), with his thought of death ("The Last Spring"). But no matter what Grieg's songs "sing" about, they always carry a sense of the fullness and beauty of life. In the songwriting of Grieg, various traditions of the chamber vocal genre continue their life. Grieg has many songs based on a single broad melody that conveys the general character, the general mood of the poetic text (“Good morning”, “Izba”). Along with such songs, there are also romances in which subtle musical recitation marks the nuances of feelings (“The Swan”, “In Separation”). Grieg's ability to combine these two principles is peculiar. Without violating the integrity of the melody and the generalization of the artistic image, Grieg is able to concretize and make tangible the details of the poetic image with the expressiveness of individual intonations, successfully found strokes of the instrumental part, the subtlety of harmonic and modal coloring.

In the early period of creativity, Grieg often turned to the poetry of the great Danish poet and storyteller Andersen. In his poems, the composer found poetic images consonant with his own system of feelings: the happiness of love, which reveals to man the infinite beauty of the surrounding world, nature. In songs based on Andersen's texts, the type of vocal miniature characteristic of Grieg was determined; song melody, couplet form, generalized transmission of poetic images. All this makes it possible to classify such works as "In the Forest", "The Hut" as a song genre (but not a romance). With a few bright and precise musical touches, Grieg brings in lively, “visible” details of the image. The national characteristic of the melody and harmonic colors gives a special charm to Grieg's songs.

"In the Forest" is a kind of nocturne, a song about love, about the magical beauty of night nature. The swiftness of the movement, the lightness and transparency of the sound determine the poetic image of the song. In the melody, wide, freely developing, impetuosity, scherzo and soft lyrical intonations are naturally combined. Subtle shades of dynamics, expressive changes of mode (variability), mobility of melodic intonations, sometimes lively and light, sometimes sensitive, sometimes bright and jubilant, accompaniment, sensitively following the melody - all this gives the figurative versatility of the whole melody, emphasizes the poetic colors of the verse. A light musical touch in the instrumental introduction, interlude and conclusion creates an imitation of forest voices, birdsong.

"The Hut" is a musical and poetic idyll, a picture of happiness, the beauty of a person's life in the bosom of nature. The genre basis of the song is barcarolle. Calm movement, uniform rhythmic swaying is the best fit for the poetic mood (serenity, peace) and the picturesqueness of the verse (movement and bursts of waves). The punctuated accompaniment rhythm, unusual for a barcarolle, frequent in Grieg and characteristic of Norwegian folk music, imparts clarity and elasticity to the movement.

A light, plastic melody seems to float above the chased texture of the piano part. The song is written in strophic form. Each stanza consists of a period with two contrasting sentences. In the second, tension is felt, the lyrical intensity of the melody; the stanza ends with a well-defined climax; in the words: "... after all, love lives here."

Free moves of the melody in thirds (with the characteristic sound of a major seventh), quarts, fifths, the breadth of the melody's breathing, a uniform barcarolle rhythm create a feeling of spaciousness, lightness.

"The First Meeting" is one of the most poetic pages of Grigov's song lyrics. An image close to Grieg - the fullness of a lyrical feeling, equal to the feeling that nature, art gives a person - is embodied in music, full of peace, purity, sublimity. A single melody, wide, freely developing, "embraces" the entire poetic text. But in the motives, phrases of the melody, its details are reflected. Naturally, the motif of a horn playing with a muffled minor repetition is woven into the vocal part - like a distant echo. The initial phrases, “hovering” around long foundations, relying on stable tonic harmony, on static plagal turns, with the beauty of chiaroscuro, recreate the mood of peace and contemplation, the beauty that the poem breathes. On the other hand, the conclusion of the song, based on the wide spills of the melody, with gradually increasing "waves" of the melody, with the gradual "conquest" of the melodic peak, with tense melodic moves, reflects the brightness and strength of emotions.

“Good morning” is a bright hymn to nature, full of joy and jubilation. Bright D-dur, fast tempo, clearly rhythmic, close to dance, energetic movement, a single melodic line for the whole song, striving to the top and culminating in a culmination - all these simple and bright musical means are complemented by subtle expressive details: elegant "vibrato", "decorations" of the melody, as if ringing in the air ("the forest is ringing, the bumblebee is buzzing"); variant repetition of a part of the melody (“the sun has risen”) in a different, tonally brighter sound; short melodic ups and downs with a stop on a major third, all growing stronger in sound; bright "fanfare" in the piano conclusion. Among the songs of Grieg, a cycle on the verses of G. Ibsen stands out. The lyric-philosophical content, mournful, concentrated images seem unusual against the general light background of Grigov's songs. The best of Ibsen's songs - "The Swan" - is one of the pinnacles of Grieg's work. Beauty, the strength of the creative spirit and the tragedy of death - this is the symbolism of Ibsen's poem. Musical images, as well as the poetic text, are distinguished by extreme laconicism. The contours of the melody are determined by the expressiveness of the recitation of the verse. But stingy intonations, intermittent free-declamatory phrases grow into an integral melody, unified and continuous in its development, harmonious in form (the song is written in three-part form). Measured movement and low mobility of the melody at the beginning, the severity of the texture of the accompaniment and harmony (the expressiveness of the plagal turns of the minor subdominant) create a feeling of grandeur and peace. Emotional tension in the middle part is achieved with even greater concentration, "stinginess" of musical means. Harmony freezes on dissonant sounds. A measured, calm melodic phrase achieves drama, increasing the height and strength of the sound, highlighting the top, final intonation with repetitions. The beauty of the tonal play in the reprise, with the gradual enlightenment of the register color, is perceived as a triumph of light and peace.

Many songs were written by Grieg based on the poems of the Norwegian peasant poet Osmund Vigne. Among them is one of the composer's masterpieces - the song "Spring". The motive of spring awakening, the spring beauty of nature, frequent in Grieg, is associated here with an unusual lyrical image: the sharpness of perception of the last spring in a person's life. The musical solution of the poetic image is remarkable: it is a bright lyrical song. The wide smooth melody consists of three constructions. Similar in intonation and rhythmic structure, they are variants of the initial image. But not for a moment there is a feeling of repetition. On the contrary: the melody flows on a big breath, with each new phase approaching the sublime hymn sound.

Very subtly, without changing the general nature of the movement, the composer translates the musical images from picturesque, vivid to emotional (“far away, far away space beckons”): whimsicality disappears, firmness, striving rhythms appear, unsteady harmonic sounds are replaced by stable ones. A sharp tonal contrast (G-dur - Fis-dur) contributes to the clarity of the line between different images of a poetic text. Giving a clear preference for the Scandinavian poets in the choice of poetic texts, Grieg only at the beginning of his career wrote several romances to the texts of the German poets Heine, Chamisso, Uhland

Piano concert

Grieg's Piano Concerto is one of the outstanding works of this genre in European music of the second half of the 19th century. The lyrical interpretation of the concerto brings Grieg's work closer to that branch of the genre, which is represented by the piano concertos of Chopin and especially Schumann. Proximity to Schumann's concerto is found in the romantic freedom, the brightness of the manifestation of feelings, in the subtle lyrical and psychological nuances of the music, in a number of compositional techniques. However, the national Norwegian flavor and the figurative structure of the work, characteristic of the composer, determined the bright originality of Grieg's concerto.

The three parts of the concerto correspond to the traditional dramaturgy of the cycle: the dramatic "knot" in the first part, the lyrical concentration in the second, the folk-genre picture in the third.

A romantic outburst of feelings, light lyrics, the assertion of a strong-willed beginning - this is the figurative structure and the line of development of images in the first part.

The second part of the concerto is a small but psychologically multifaceted Adagio. Its dynamic three-part form follows from the development of the main image from concentrated, with notes of dramatic lyricism to an open and complete revelation of a bright, strong feeling.

The finale, written in the form of a rondo sonata, is dominated by two images. In the first theme - a cheerful energetic hulling - folk-genre episodes found their completion as a "life background" that set off the dramatic line of the first part.

Artworks

Major works

* Suite "From the Times of Holberg", Op. 40

* Six Lyric Pieces for Piano, Op. 54

* Symphonic dances op. 64, 1898)

* Norwegian dances op.35, 1881)

* String Quartet in G minor Op. 27, 1877-1878)

* Three Violin Sonatas Op. 8, 1865

* Cello Sonata in A minor Op. 36, 1882)

* Concert Overture "In Autumn" (I Hst, op. 11), 1865)

* Sigurd Jorsalfar op. 26, 1879 (three orchestral pieces from music to B. Bjornson's tragedy)

* Wedding Day at Troldhaugen, Op. 65, no. 6

* Heart Wounds (Hjertesar) From Two Elegiac Melodies, Op.34 (Lyric Suite Op.54)

*Sigurd Jorsalfar, Op. 56 - Homage March

* Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46

* Peer Gynt Suite No. 2, Op. 55

* Last Spring (Varen) from Two Elegiac Pieces, Op. 34

* Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16

Chamber instrumental works

* First Violin Sonata F-dur Op. 8 (1866)

* Second Violin Sonata G-dur Op. 13 (1871)

* Third Violin Sonata in c-moll Op. 45 (1886)

* Cello Sonata a-moll Op. 36 (1883)

* G-moll String Quartet Op. 27 (1877-1878)

Vocal and symphonic works (theatrical music)

* "Lonely" for baritone, string orchestra and two horns - Op. 32

* Music for Ibsen's Peer Gynt, Op. 23 (1874-1875)

* "Bergliot" for recitation and orchestra Op. 42 (1870-1871)

* Scenes from Olaf Trygvason, for soloists, choir and orchestra, Op. 50 (1888)

Piano works (about 150 in total)

* Small plays (op. 1 published in 1862); 70

contained in 10 "Lyric Notebooks" (ed. from the 70s to 1901)

* Among major works: Sonata e-moll op. 7 (1865),

* Ballad in the form of variations Op. 24 (1875)

* For piano, 4 hands

* Symphonic Pieces Op. fourteen

* Norwegian Dances Op. 35

* Waltzes-Caprices (2 pieces) op. 37

* Old Norse Romance with Variations Op. 50 (there is an orchestral edition)

* 4 Mozart sonatas for 2 pianos 4 hands (F-dur, c-moll, C-dur, G-dur)

Choirs (total - with posthumously published - over 140)

* Album for male singing (12 choirs) op. thirty

* 4 psalms to old Norwegian melodies, for mixed choir

* a capella with baritone or bass Op. 70 (1906)

Interesting Facts

E. Grieg's unfinished opera (op. 50) - turned into a children's epic opera "Asgard"

Call from beyond

Grieg gave a big concert in the city of Oslo, the program of which consisted exclusively of the composer's works. But at the last minute, Grieg unexpectedly replaced the very last number of the program with a work by Beethoven. The next day, a very venomous review by a well-known Norwegian critic, who did not like Grieg's music, appeared in the largest metropolitan newspaper. The critic was especially stern about the last number of the concerto, noting that this "composition is simply ridiculous and completely unacceptable." Grieg telephoned this critic and said:

You are disturbed by the spirit of Beethoven. I must tell you that the last work performed in Grieg's concerto was composed by me!

From such embarrassment, the unfortunate disgraced critic had a heart attack.

Where to put the order?

Once the king of Norway, a passionate admirer of Grieg's music, decided to award the famous composer with an order and invited him to the palace. Putting on a tailcoat, Grieg went to the reception. The order was presented to Grieg by one of the Grand Dukes. After the presentation, the composer said:

Convey to His Majesty my gratitude and appreciation for the attention to my humble person.

Then, turning the order in his hands and not knowing what to do with it, Grieg hid it in the pocket of his tailcoat, which was sewn on at the back, at the very bottom of his back. There was an awkward impression that Grieg had stuffed the order somewhere into his back pockets. However, Grieg himself did not understand this. But the king was very offended when he was told where Grieg put the Order.

Miracles happen!

Grieg and his friend, the conductor Franz Beyer, often went fishing in Nurdo-svannet. Once, while fishing, Grieg suddenly came up with a musical phrase. He took out a piece of paper from his bag, wrote it down, and calmly placed the paper next to him. A sudden gust of wind blew the leaf into the water. Grieg did not notice that the paper had disappeared, and Beyer quietly fished it out of the water. He read the recorded melody and, hiding the paper, began to hum it. Grieg turned around with lightning speed and asked:

What is this? .. Beyer answered completely calmly:

Just an idea that just popped into my head.

- "" Well, everyone says that miracles do not happen! Grieg said in great amazement. -

Imagine, because I, too, a few minutes ago came up with exactly the same idea!

mutual praise

The meeting between Edvard Grieg and Franz Liszt took place in Rome in 1870, when Grieg was about twenty-seven years old, and Liszt was preparing to celebrate his sixtieth birthday. Grieg showed Liszt, along with his other compositions, the Piano Concerto in A minor, which was extremely difficult. With bated breath, the young composer waited for what the great Liszt would say. After reviewing the score, Liszt asked:

Will you play it for me?

Not! I cant! Even if I start rehearsing for a month, I’m unlikely to play, because I never specifically studied the piano.

I can’t either, it’s too unusual, but let’s try.” With these words, Liszt sat down at the piano and began to play. And best of all he played the most difficult places in the Concerto. When Liszt finished playing, the amazed Edvard Grieg exhaled:

Fabulous! Unfathomable...

I join your opinion. The concert is really magnificent, - Liszt smiled good-naturedly.

Grieg's legacy

Today, the work of Edvard Grieg is highly revered, especially in the composer's homeland - in Norway.

Leif Ove Andsnes, one of the most famous Norwegian musicians today, actively performs his compositions as a pianist and conductor. The house where the composer lived for many years - "Troldhaugen" became a house-museum open to the public.

Here, visitors are shown the native walls of the composer, his manor, interiors, memorabilia belonging to Edvard Grieg is also preserved.

Permanent things that belonged to the composer: coat, hat and violin still hang on the wall of his working house. A monument to Edvard Grieg has been opened near the estate, which everyone who visits Troldhaugen and the working hut, where Grieg composed his best musical works and wrote arrangements of folk motifs, can see.

Music corporations continue to release CDs and cassettes of Edvard Grieg's greatest works. CDs of Grieg's melodies are being released in modern processing (see in this article Musical fragments - "Erotic", "Wedding Day in Troldhaugen"). The name of Edvard Grieg is still associated with Norwegian culture and musical creativity of the country. Grieg's classical plays are used in various artistic and cultural events. Various musical performances, scenarios for professional performances on ice and other performances are staged.

"In the Hall of the Mountain King" is perhaps Grieg's most popular and recognizable composition.

She survived many treatments by pop musicians. Candice Knight and Ritchie Blackmore even wrote lyrics for "The Hall of the Mountain King" and edited it into the song "Hall of the Mountain King". The composition, its fragments and arrangements are often used in soundtracks for films, TV shows, computer games, commercials, etc., when it is necessary to create a mysterious, slightly ominous or slightly ironic atmosphere.

For example, in the film "M" she clearly showed the character of the hero Peter Lorre - Beckert, a maniac who hunted children.

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) is the first Norwegian composer whose work went beyond the borders of his country and became the property of a pan-European culture. Thanks to Grieg, the musical school of Norway was on a par with other national schools in Europe, although its development proceeded in very difficult conditions.

For a long time (until 1905) Norway could not achieve state independence. Political dependence on Denmark (XIV-XVIII centuries) and Sweden (XIX century) hampered the development of the economy and culture of the country (until the middle of the XIX century, it not only had no professional art, but also a single state language).

Grieg's life and career coincided with a period of unusually bright flowering of Norwegian culture, associated with the awakening of national identity. In the 60-70s of the 19th century, leading Norwegian artists turned to the study of the national epic, folk tales, and musical folklore. In Bergen, in the homeland of Grieg, the National Norwegian Theater was opened, the work of which was headed by Henrik Ibsen (the most prominent Norwegian playwright, author of the drama Peer Gynt). Outstanding violinist-improviser Ole Bull began to promote Norwegian folk music, performing his own concert fantasies on folk themes. Composer of the Norwegian national anthem Nurdrok Together with Grieg, he created the musical society "Euterpe" in Copenhagen, the purpose of which was to disseminate and promote the work of young Scandinavian composers. As the author of numerous romances, he advanced Hjerulf . And yet it was Grieg who managed to bring the musical school of Norway to the world level. The image of Norway became the semantic center of all Grigov's creativity. Its embodiment is connected either with the heroism of the Norwegian epic, or with images of national history and literature, or with the fantasy of Scandinavian fairy tales or pictures of the harsh northern nature. The most profound and artistically perfect generalization of the epic image of the motherland was the 2 orchestral suites "Peer Gynt", in which Grieg gave his interpretation of Ibsen's plot. Leaving outside the description of Per - an adventurer, an individualist and a rebel - Grieg created a lyric-epic poem about Norway, sang the beauty of its nature ("Morning"), painted bizarre fairy-tale images ("In the cave of the mountain king"). The meaning of eternal symbols was acquired by the lyrical images of Per's mother, old Oze, and his bride Solveig.

Grieg's brightly original style has developed under the influence of Norwegian folklore, which has a very long history. Its traditions were formed in the lyric-epic songs of skalds, in shepherd mountain melodies ( lokkah), in Norwegian dances and marches.

Grigovskiye melodies absorbed the most characteristic features of Norwegian folk songs, such as, for example, the combination of pentatonic moves with tritones, or the melodic turn T - introductory tone - D. This intonation, which has become a kind of musical symbol of Norway, is found very often in Grieg's music (for example, in many topics , in "Nocturne" from "Lyric Pieces"). Often it "moves" to other degrees of the mode, as, for example, in Song Solveig, where this melodic move comes from D (through the raised IV step), and then from S.

Under the influence of folklore, characteristic features have also developed harmony Grieg:

• an abundance of organ items;
• frequent use of the Lydian and Dorian modes;
• raising the fourth degree of the mode in both major and minor is Grigov's favorite alteration;
• flexible modal variability, as a kind of play of “light and shadow” (minor d in major, major S in minor, etc.) t. slow part of fp. concert

In general, the harmonic language of Grieg's works is distinguished by its special brilliance, the wide use of multi-tertian chords, which again is rooted in Norwegian folklore (many Norwegian melodies contain several tertian moves in one direction).

Grieg's numerous dances are most directly related to Norwegian folklore. They are based on the peculiar rhythm of the Norwegian hullings, springdances, gangars. Gangar is a Norwegian peasant march. Halling - solo male dance with very complex, almost acrobatic movements. springdance (or springar) - perky "hopping dance". Grieg often emphasizes the typical rhythmic details of all these dances - a combination of triplet and dotted patterns, unexpected accents on weak beats, all kinds of syncopations.

Grieg's creative heritage includes almost all musical genres - piano, vocal, symphonic (overture "Autumn", suite "From the time of Holberg" for string orchestra) and vocal-symphonic (theatrical music), chamber-instrumental (string quartet, 3 sonatas for violin and piano, 1 sonata for cello and piano). Nevertheless, he showed himself most clearly in the field miniatures - piano and vocal. Contemporaries called him a brilliant miniaturist, a master of small forms.

Where his personal life observations, impressions of the world around him, nature, thoughts and feelings, thoughts about the Motherland are captured. The composer wrote about 150 piano miniatures. 66 of them are included in the cycle of 10 notebooks "Lyric Pieces", which took the main place in his piano work (besides him - "Poetic Pictures", "Humoresques", "From Folk Life", "Album Sheets", "Waltzes-Caprices "). Grieg also dedicated 3 major works to the piano: an e-moll sonata, a ballad in the form of variations and a piano concerto, one of the best in concert literature.

Along with piano music, (about 150 songs and romances, including the vocal cycles "Melody of the Heart" to the words of G.Kh Andersen, "On the Rocks and Fjords", "Norway", "Child of the Mountains"). It is significant that the basis of Grieg's vocal compositions was Norwegian poetry (poems by Bjornson, Paulsen, Ibsen).

Grieg showed himself not only as a composer. He was also an excellent performer (he performed as a conductor and pianist, most often in collaboration with the singer Nina Hagerup, who was his wife); music critic; public figure (he headed the Philharmonic Society in Christiania, held the first festival of Norwegian music in Bergen, etc.)

Until the last years of his life, Grieg's educational activities continued (leading the concerts of the Bergen musical society Harmony, organizing the first festival of Norwegian music in 1898). The concentrated composer's work was replaced by tours (Germany, Austria, England, France); they contributed to the spread of Norwegian music in Europe, brought new connections, acquaintances with the largest contemporary composers - I. Brahms, K. Saint-Saens, M. Reger, F. Busoni.

Basically it is music for dramatic performances. The opera Olaf Trygvason remained unfinished.