The Songs Of Edvard Grieg

Edvard Grieg's 180 songs mirror his artistic and personal development more intimately than any of his other music, yet are still the least known part of his output. This definitive appraisal discusses every song, including those left only in manuscript and sketches at the composer's death, set against the background of his life and times. It also deals with the poetry set, often chosen to reflect his current situation, and the poets, several of whom, including great figures of the day such as Ibsen and Bjornson, were his friends and colleagues. Grieg frequently bemoaned poor translations and indifferent performances, and the various editions and translations, from first publication to the present day, are also discussed, together with his own ideas for interpretation. Musical examples and analysis are included to give a closer understanding of Grieg's word-setting and harmonic development, although their performance is always kept paramount.

Originally published in 2003, Edvard Grieg and his Songs examines the lifetime of Edvard Grieg. His songs were among his most popular and well-known works and both historians and critics have seen in them, Grieg at his most sophisticated and innovative. Important in and of themselves, the songs also illuminate critical aspects of his other works such as his musical impressionism, his use of folk music as a source of inspiration, and his novel approach towards harmony. Fifty of Grieg’s most important songs form the focus of this book. Each song is discussed individually and within the wider context of the composer’s output. The book provides a translation of the lyrics, and analysis of the poem and a description of the song’s form, melody, tessitura, harmony, rhythm and accompaniment, together with suggestions for interpretation. In addition to this, the book gives a brief biography of Grieg, with a chapter that analyses his approach to song writing.

Comprehensive survey of Grieg's 180 songs, considering particularly questions and issues of performance. Edvard Grieg's 180 songs mirror his artistic and personal development more intimately than any of his other music, yet are still the least known part of his output. This definitive appraisal, now revised and updated, discusses every song, including those left only in manuscript and sketches at the composer's death, set against the background of his life and times. It also deals with the poetry set, often chosen to reflect his current situation, and the poets, several of whom, including great figures of the day such as Ibsen and Bjornson, were his friends and colleagues. Grieg frequently bemoaned poor translations and indifferent performances, and the various editions and translations, from first publication to the present day, are also discussed, together with his own ideas for interpretation. Musical examples and analysis are included to give a closer understanding of Grieg's word-setting and harmonic development, although their performance is always kept paramount. BERYL FOSTER is a graduate of London University and studied singing in Colchester and at the Royal College of Music. As well as all the usual repertoire, since 1980 she has made a particular study of the songs of Grieg and other Norwegian composers, giving recitals, lectures and workshops in Britain, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and China. She is also a private teacher andfestival adjudicator.

Edvard Grieg (1843–1907) is known to every music lover for his Peer Gynt suite, piano concerto, and arrangements of folk songs. When Edvard Grieg: The Man and the Artist was first published in Norway in 1980 it was quickly rec-ognized as the definitive biography of the great composer. Finn Benestad and Dag Schjelderup-Ebbe, the world's leading authorities on Grieg, lent liveliness and objectivity to their book after decades of dedicated research. Working with the authors, William H. Halverson and Leland B. Sateren have now translated the biography into English, updating it to include details of astonishing new developments: the discovery in the 1980s of a cache of manuscripts and letters by Grieg and the publication and performance (for the first time since 1867) of his only symphony. Edvard Grieg: The Man and the Artist sets the Norwegian composer's life and career in the context of his times and casts new light on the origin and musical significance of many of his composi-tions. As in the original edition, the text is accompanied by a parallel column of primary materials—documents and musical examples—and is lavishly illustrated. Both scholars and general readers will revel in this musical feast.

The book is declared by its author as the first work with information regarding the life, personality and works of Edvard Grieg in English or German. The author is able to give a thorough account of both Grieg the man, and Grieg the composer with descriptions and analyses of his works. Pictures are painted of Griegâ (TM)s life in Germany and Norway; Peer Gynt and the influence of Ibsen; the effect of composers such as Liszt and Wagner; the role of Norwegian folk music; the impression left by the Norwegian countryside; and more. A highly useful inclusion in the volume is a bibliography of works on Grieg in English, French, German, and Norwegian, as well as a complete list of Edvard Griegâ (TM)s musical works. The fact that this is among the earliest books on Grieg coupled with the fact that it was written while Grieg was still alive makes the volume a most necessary addition to any collection of works by and on Grieg. It is indispensable for researchers and scholars of Grieg, and provides a clear and appealing introduction to the newcomer.