Grieg: Lyric Pieces Op. 43: No. 1 - Butterfly (Sommerfugl, Papillon)

The composer Edvard Grieg was at the forefront of a flourishing of creativity that took place in Scandinavian culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, alongside his contemporaries, Nielsen and Sibelius.

His imagination was particularly fired by the folk music and stories of his native Norway; it is, therefore, unsurprising that the music that resulted from this passion is some of his most popular with listeners. One such example is Peer Gynt, incidental music composed for Henrik Ibsen’s play, based on the Norwegian folk tale Per Gynt. Although the play itself met with a mixed reception, Grieg’s music, extracted and turned into two orchestral suites in 1888 and 1891, has become a staple of the concert hall – there cannot be many listeners unfamiliar with the fantastical sounds of ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’ or the sublime evocation of sunrise in ‘Morning Mood’.

Grieg received his formal musical education in Germany and as a young man was advised to concentrate on symphonies. Nevertheless he felt more comfortable composing miniatures inspired by his native Norway.

Although labelled ‘Favourites’ this collection features some less familiar recordings that surely deserve to be all-time classics: Malko’s 1953 version of the Lyric Suite has been eagerly awaited as has Weldon’s

superlative recording of the Norwegian Dances. Another gem is Emmy Bettendorf’s Solveig’s Song, performed with ‘precisely such a tone as Grieg taught his wife to sing Solveig’s refrain’ (Gramophone 1929) and to complete the programme there are five extracts from Weldon’s Peer Gynt Suites, a handful of Gieseking’s Lyric Pieces and Münchinger’s Holberg Suite.

Ingolf Turban commands a repertoire of works, some of which have rarely been performed on stage or on CD. This recital comprises masterpieces for solo violin and reflects Ingolf Turban´s special preferences for unusual musical works and programmes.

Mahler, Reinecke and Grieg play all their 1905/1906 interpretations of their own and other works. The Mahler compositions on this CD are performed both by Mahler and Hans Haass.

Classical composers clearly loved their animals: here is a programme presenting a variety of creatures - great and small - from the elephant and kangaroo to the cat, mouse and frog! The musical styles range from frivolous to funny, and the booklet notes explain the music and how to listen out for the details of tunes and rhythms.

The Lyric Pieces by Edvard Grieg have long formed part of standard repertoire for musical recitals in the home; they were also excellent encores when pianists wished to thank their audience with a poetic gesture. In this recording, Hideyo Harada recalls the important tradition of these ‘songs without words’ to memory. In the groups of pieces as well as in each piece itself, Hideyo Harada maintains the dramatic tension which is the heart of Romantic musical poetry. Each piece is self-consistent and logical, clearly formed and yet with its own characteristics and with a quasi-visual force of presence.

"a thoroughly convincing and satisfying recital. Harada certainly has the virtuoso technique to accomplish it. Her poise, balance, and articulation are essentially flawless, and her sheer speed is often quite breathtaking.” Allmusic.com