Grieg: Lyric Pieces Op. 47: No. 3 - Melody

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’.

In this sixth and last volume of André Segovia’s 1950s American recordings, the great guitarist is heard in a number of his transcriptions from eminent nineteenth century composers as well as in original guitar solos composed by his Spanish and South American contemporaries. The considerable diversity of the music is presented in Segovia’s inimitable manner, every nuance of sound and colour being uniquely exploited in delicately refined interpretations. Of particular note is Segovia’s interpretation of Falla’s Homenaje ‘Le Tombeau de Claude Debussy’, now regarded as one of the most emotionally charged solo guitar works. In his preface to Villa-Lobos’s Douze Etudes, that the composer had dedicated to him, Segovia writes: ‘Villa- Lobos has made a gift to the guitar’s history of the fruits of his talents as vigorous and as wise as that of Scarlatti and Chopin’.

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

Recorded in 1974

This set is this first in a new APR series featuring pupils of the great British piano teacher, Tobias Matthay.

TOBIAS MATTHAY (1858–1945) is the greatest piano teacher Britain has produced. From the 1890s to the 1930s, first at the RAM and then also at his own school, he almost singlehandedly produced a generation of concert pianists who launched an English piano tradition. York Bowen was an early pupil, but those best remembered are a group of female pianists; Harriet Cohen, Myra Hess, Irene Scharrer and Moura Lympany, all of whom will feature in this APR series.

EILEEN JOYCE lies somewhat outside this mainstream, as she trained principally in Germany, but she did have three years of finishing studies with Matthay between 1930 and 1933.

Eileen Joyce was born in Tasmania in 1908 to poor immigrants of Irish descent. Her father was an itinerant labourer and the family soon moved to Western Australia where the young Eileen discovered the piano and, in spite of much hardship, soon developed an astonishing playing ability. Heard by Grainger and Backhaus, who both praised her, she was sent off to Germany where she studied for three years with Robert Teichmüller. She came to England in 1930 with a recommendation which led to her Proms debut in that year playing Prokofiev's Third Concerto. She also commenced her advanced studies with Matthay.

After a slow start, her career blossomed exponentially from 1933 when she made her first recording. This disc, of Paul de Schlözer's Etude Op1/2 and Liszt's La Leggierezza is still regarded as one of the most astonishing examples of virtuosity ever recorded.

From this time until 1960, when she suddenly retired from performing at the age of 52, she was one of Britain's best loved pianists.

She appeared 37 times at the Proms, gave the British premieres of both Shostakovich concertos and became known to millions as the pianist playing Rachmaninov's Second Concerto in the film 'Brief Encounter'. Her greatest recordings are from the 78rpm period and we present all of these, with the exception of her concerto performances and a few later Decca discs. Eileen was a natural pianist with a big rich sound and very fast fingers; she is at her best in the many brilliant encore type pieces she recorded but she was equally stylish (and brilliant) in Mozart and had a special affinity with the wistful nostalgia of Grieg.

Most of these recordings have never been transferred to CD before so this set is a 'must' for all enthusiasts of great piano playing from the past.

For the first time, this budget priced 6 CD collection re-presents Segovia’s highly-prized recordings made for American Decca in the 1940s and 1950s, when he was arguably at the height of his powers. Here are the first six albums released by the label in that now legendary series, presented for the first time in original LP couplings and with their striking original-sleeve artwork: Andrés Segovia Guitar Solos; An Andrés Segovia Recital; An Andrés Segovia Concert; An Andrés Segovia Program; An Evening with Andrés Segovia; Andrés Segovia Plays…

Many of these 80+ tracks are appearing on Deutsche Grammophon for the first time. The set has been newly remastered, with a minimum of intervention, from original tapes or tape copies of original glass masters. Like the best whisky, Segovia’s art is unfiltered on these CDs. The results reveal a new intimacy and delicacy in these six classic recitals that are wholly captivating.

The package: Mini-LP sleeves (front and back), CD booklet (in the style of the The Martha Argerich Collection) has new liner notes by Segovia expert Graham Wade comprising introduction and annotations on each of the albums, with colour minis.