Grieg: String Quartet No.2 in F major

Grieg’s String Quartet in G minor has long established itself as one of the finest such works of the second half of the nineteenth century. The distinction of its thematic material, and its use in cyclical form, is reinforced by an ultimately victorious motto theme. The F major Quartet was written later, but remained unfinished, but it too is a fertile creation with a strong dance profile. Both works are heard in Alf Årdal’s imaginative arrangements for string orchestra. Arne Nordheim, in his lifetime Norway’s leading living composer, wrote Rendezvous as a quartet but expanded it in 1986. It is an intense, moving, and beautifully crafted work.

There are no other recordings of Årdal’s arrangements of Grieg in the catalogue. They are rich expansions, and should prove attractive to chamber orchestras which are, more and more, taking on quartet expansions into their repertoire. In his lifetime, Nordheim was Norway’s leading composer and his quartet, which he himself arranged for chamber orchestra, offers symmetry for the two Grieg quartets and also a modern day example of the country’s rich string music tradition.

Edvard Grieg was the father of Norwegian music; his most famous pieces are the Piano Concerto in A Minor and the incidental music to Peer Gynt. Sent to study at the conservatory of Leipzig during his teens, his compositions show a thorough grounding in the European Romantic tradition, although his later works explore the idea of a national Norwegian style.

His chamber music showcases the way in which he actively sought to weave the characteristics of Norwegian popular music into accepted compositional forms and styles. Grieg himself said of the violin sonatas: ‘They are representative of the three periods of my evolution: the first naïve and full of melodic ideas, the second nationalistic, and the third turning to much vaster horizons.’ The quartet in G Minor initially proved a problem for the composer, but it is nonetheless a triumph, brimming with impressive moments such as the beauty of the pastoral reverie and the relentless rhythm of the energetic finale. The collection also includes the Cello Concerto in A Minor – written for Grieg’s brother John, an amateur cellist – the String Quartet No.2 in F and the Andante con moto for piano trio.

The recording boasts a wealth of renowned chamber musicians; among them are the Moscow Trio, an ensemble that has achieved great success in Europe. Also featured are acclaimed performers such as Alexander Vinnitsky, Vladimir Ovchinnikov and Alexander Rudin.

This collection is very varied featuring string quartets, piano quartets, trios, clarinet quintets and string quintets in addition to other combinations.

The attractive repertoire is selected from the Classical and Romantic eras up to and including Grieg’s string quartets. Dvorák’s Dumky Trio, the Brahms Horn Trio and Schubert and Mendelssohn’s Octets are but a few of the popular chamber included in this set.