Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

A recital of Edvard Grieg's lovely Lyric Pieces for piano, transcribed for solo guitar. Guitarist Peter Fletcher wrote the transcriptions for this recording. Mr. Fletcher is in demand as a performer in cultural venues throughout the United States. '... strong technique, a consistent tone, and a bold interpretive imagination... ' - American Record Guide.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Chandos releases a new compilation of orchestral works by Grieg on its mid-price 'Classics' label. The disc contains some of Grieg's most popular works. Recorded in: Ulster Hall, Belfast 29-31 August (Suite No. 1), 19 & 20 August 1989 (other works) Producer(s) Brian Couzens (Suite No. 1) Tim Oldham (other works) Sound Engineer(s) Ralph Couzens Philip Couzens (Suite No. 1) Richard Lee (other works)

Grieg: Lieder

GRIEG Piano Concerto in a 1. Peer Gynt: Morning Mood. Impressions: Hommage à Chopin. Lyric Pieces: Selections • Cyprien Katsaris (pn); 1 Horst Neumann, cond; Leipzig RO • PIANO21 028-A (75:03)


Grieg’s piano music (other than his concerto, which has been a staple of the repertoire for years—it was Rachmaninoff’s favorite concerto!) has for too long languished in obscurity. Though the current recital does not touch upon the least-known works of his oeuvre , it does show off some of the best of it in the Lyric Pieces . These works are, in a sense, the Norwegian counterparts to the character pieces of Schumann and the Songs Without Words of Mendelssohn; and just like these latter works, the Lyric Pieces have never garnered the attention that they deserve.


They have found a good advocate in Cyprien Katsaris, who has long been a champion of this kind of little-played repertoire. As most of the performances on the current disc were recorded live, the sound is sometimes fine, sometimes abominable. This, however, does not distract from the simple way that Katsaris caresses the instrument, subtly capturing the mood of each of these tiny gems—from the quirkiness of the Little Bird , op. 43/4, to the frantic climaxes of the March of the Dwarfs , op. 54/3. His way with the simple Arietta , op. 12/1, is a bit too fussy for my taste; I much prefer the way Emil Gilels lets the piece shape itself without getting in its way. Regardless, one can hear Katsaris having fun, bringing out the character of each little masterpiece, which consequently allows us to simply revel in the music. This is perhaps the most difficult aspect of playing these pieces, and Katsaris succeeds on multiple levels.


His way with the concerto, unfortunately, is less successful because of the way in which he seems to want the piece to be something that it is not. The dramatic opening sounds a bit too rushed, taking away some of its inherent drama, while the following low A is slammed out and held as though the climax has already been reached. There are nice moments throughout, but there is also a bit too much stop-and-go motion—something that works well, perhaps, in concert, but not in repeated listening on recordings. The other two small pieces, the “Morning Mood” from Peer Gynt and the Hommage à Chopin , are both given fine readings, the former for its simplicity and pathos, the latter for its breathtaking virtuosity. For the Lyric Pieces my top recommendation is still for one of the most impressive discs that Emil Gilels, or any pianist, ever recorded (DG Originals 449721). For the Piano Concerto, one of the most exciting performances—also recorded live—is Michelangeli’s recording with the New Philharmonia Orchestra under Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (BBC Legends 4043). For another recommendable performance of the Lyric Pieces , Katsaris’s recording will complement these performances nicely.


FANFARE: Scott Noriega

They had one child together. But their budding happiness was short-lived, literally alas. In Edvard Grieg’s life, fate struck hard blows more than once. For shortly after Alexandra died, barely one year old, Grieg’s wife Nina Hagerup miscarried. “It is hard to watch the hope of one’s life lowered into the earth, and it took time and quiet to recover from the pain,” Grieg wrote shortly after the funeral. “But thank God, if one has something to live for one does not easily fall apart; and art surely has- more than many other things- this soothing power that allays all sorrow!” As this release will show, the lied was one of the ways the composer, and perhaps the most important way, that helped him cope with all the dramatic events in his life, both ups and downs.

Classical Music

Import Hybrid-SACD pressing.

Grieg: Peer Gynt Suites 1 & 2 / In Autumn / Sakari Oramo Composed by Edvard Grieg / Conductor Sakari Oramo / Orchestra City Of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. As soon as the strings respond to the flute near the beginning of Peer Gynt's 'Morning' you sense this is a quality production. A bolder Grieg than we're used to hearing, less perfumed than dramatic and with impressive orchestral playing from the Birmingham orchestra.

Grieg: Piano Music, Vol. 12

Grieg: Piano Music, Vol. 13