GRIEG: COMPLETE MUSIC FOR PIANO – Eva Knardahl (12 CDs) BIS

Eva Knardahl’s recordings of Grieg’s music for solo piano – here completed with recordings by Love Derwinger of the works unpublished during Grieg’s lifetime – have been a milestone ever since they were first released on LP at the end of the 1970s. The Norwegian pianist’s interpretations of the music of her countryman blew away decades worth of cobwebs and caused many to reconsider an oeuvre of which one part was so well-known as to risk becoming banal and another was all but unknown. At the time of the first release one reviewer likened Knardahl to ‘an Alicia de Larrocha of the North, who makes her instrument ring out like a cathedral’. When the recordings were re-released on CD, another wrote that her performances ‘suggest that there’s a lot more to Grieg’s several hundred little pieces than pretty lyricism … She brings a forthrightness and color to the Norwegian master – even a countrified robustness – that few have suspected is there. Knardahl’s performance of the famous Piano Concerto is a rendering full of grandeur, poetry and power. She can really stand comparison with any of her rivals.’ And these recordings still hold their place in the catalogue. As late as in March 2006, the BBC 3 programme CD Review made her recording of the Holberg Suite their top choice in the series Building a Library, and a recent near-ecstatic review on US website ‘All Music Guide’ claims that ‘everyone ought to hear pianist Eva Knardahl kick the stuffing out of “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No.1’. Now is the chance to do just that, while starting to build that library at the same time. And then to begin exploring the rest of 13 hours worth of music – digitally re-mastered for this occasion – guided by a 40-page essay (in English, Norwegian, French and German) by internationally recognized Grieg expert Dag Schjelderup-Ebbe.

Piano

Derwinger, Love
Ingebretsen, Kjell
Knardahl, Eva

Orchestra

Norrköping Symphony Orchestra
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductor

Hirokami, Jun’ichi
Ingebretsen, Kjell

Disc 1

Edvard Grieg
Lyric Pieces I, Op.12 12’01
01 I. Arietta 0’59
02 II. Waltz 1’47
03 III.Watchman’s song 2’32
04 IV. Fairydance 0’48
05 V. Folksong 1’48
06 VI. Norweigan 0’59
07 VII. Album Leaf 1’32
08 VIII. National Song 1’36

Lyric Pieces II, Op.38 16’25
09 I. Berceuse 2’27
10 II. Folksong 1’40
11 III. Melody 2’01
12 IV. Halling 0’48
13 V. Springdans 1’20
14 VI. Elegy 2’47
15 VII. Waltz 1’01
16 VIII. Canon 4’21

Lyric Pieces III, Op.43 14’05
17 I. Butterfly 1’47
18 II. Solitary Traveller 2’38
19 III. In my native Country 2’02
20 IV. Little bird 2’04
21 V. Erotikon 2’50
22 VI. To Spring 2’44

Lyric Pieces IV, Op.47 20’18
23 I. Valse-Impromptu 3’28
24 II. Album Leaf 3’52
25 III. Melody 2’55
26 IV. Halling 1’27
27 V. Melancholy 3’43
28 VI. Springdans 1’20
29 VII. Elegy 3’33

Disc 2

Edvard Grieg
Lyric Pieces V, Op.54 25’04
01 I. Shepherd’s Boy 4’46
02 II. Norwegian March 3’37
03 III. March of the Dwarfs 3’02
04 IV. Notturno 4’28
05 V. Scherzo 3’46
06 VI. Bellringing 5’25

Lyric Pieces VI, Op.57 25’40
07 I. Vanished days 5’57
08 II. Gade 3’22
09 III. Illusion 3’31
10 IV. Secret 5’21
11 V. She dances 2’49
12 VI. Homesickness 4’40

Lyric Pieces VII, Op.62 14’31
13 I. Sylphe 1’28
14 II. Gratitude 4’20
15 III. French Serenade 1’54
16 IV. Brooklet 1’36
17 V. Phantom 2’21
18 VI. Homeward 2’52

Disc 3

Edvard Grieg
Lyric Pieces VIII, Op.65 22’47
01 I. From early years 5’15
02 II. Peasant’s Song 1’36
03 III. Melancholy 3’33
04 IV. Salon 2’13
05 V. Ballad 3’09
06 VI. Wedding-day at Troldhaugen 7’01

Lyric Pieces IX, Op.68 15’34
07 I. Sailor’s Song 1’27
08 II. Grandmother’s Minuet 2’04
09 III. At your Feet 2’40
10 IV. Evening at the Mountains 3’15
11 V. At the Cradle 2’27
12 VI. Valse mélancolique 3’41

Lyric Pieces X, Op.71 22’00
13 I. Once upon a time 4’58
14 II. Summer Eve 2’28
15 III. Puck 1’50
16 IV. Peace of Woods 5’17
17 V. Halling 3’01
18 VI. Gone 2’31
19 VII. Remembrances 1’55

Disc 4

Edvard Grieg
Four Piano Pieces, Op.1 13’30
01 I. Allegro con leggerezza 1’31
02 II. Non allegro e molto espressivo 4’49
03 III. Mazurka 3’33
04 IV. Allegro con moto 3’37

Poetic Tone-Pictures, Op.3 10’32
05 I. Allegro, ma non troppo 1’42
06 II. Allegro cantabile 1’42
07 III. Con moto 2’03
08 IV. Andante con sentimento 2’53
09 V. Allegro moderato 1’24
10 VI. Allegro scherzando 0’48

Humoresques, Op.6 11’18
11 I. Tempo di valse 2’52
12 II. Tempo di menuetto ed energico 2’36
13 III. Allegretto con grazia 2’20
14 IV. Allegro alla burla 3’30

Sonata for piano solo, Op.7 19’46
15 Allegro moderato 4’47
16 Andante molto 4’46
17 Alla menuetto ma poco più lento 3’04
18 Finale. Molto allegro 7’09

19 Funeral March: Rikard Nordraak in memoriam 7’20

Disc 5

Edvard Grieg
25 Norwegian Folksongs & Dances, Op.17 27’44
01 Springdans 0’52
02 The Swain 0’46
03 Springdans 0’42
04 Nils Tallefjorden 1’20
05 Dance from Jølster 1’34
06 Wedding Tune 1’27
07 Halling 0’48
08 The Pig 0’34
09 Religious Song 1’25
10 Wooer’s Song 1’06
11 Heroic Song 1’03
12 Solfager and the Snake-King 1’28
13 Wedding Tune 0’59
14 I sing with a sorrowful Heart 1’18
15 Last Saturday Evening 1’35
16 I know a little Maiden 1’28
17 The Cleg and the Fly 1’13
18 Stumping Dance 2’06
19 Hølje dale 0’42
20 Halling 0’29
21 The Woman from Setesdal 0’36
22 Cow-call 0’52
23 Peasant Song 1’19
24 Wedding Tune 0’47
25 The Raven’s Wedding 1’15

Scenes from Folk Life, Op.19 15’57
26 I. Mountain Dance 5’34
27 II. Wedding Procession 3’20
28 III. From the Carnival 7’03

Four Album Leaves, Op.28 12’03
29 I. Allegro con moto 2’15
30 II. Allegretto espressivo 2’38
31 III. Vivace 2’49
32 IV. Andantino serioso – Allegro giocoso 4’21

Improvisations on 2 Norwegian Folksongs, Op.29 7’45
33 I. Allegretto con moto 3’13
34 II. Andante 4’32

Disc 6

Edvard Grieg
01 Ballade in G minor, Op.24 20’02

Peer Gynt Suite No.1, Op.46 13’21
02 I. Morning Mood 4’00
03 II. The Death of Aase 3’38
04 III. Anitra’s Dance 3’37
05 IV. In the Hall of the Mountain King 2’06

Peer Gynt Suite No.2, Op.55 17’52
06 I. Ingrid’s Lament 4’30
07 II. Arabian Dance 5’21
08 III. Peer Gynt’s Homecoming 3’16
09 IV. Solveig’s Song 4’45

Three Orchestral Pieces from Sigurd Jorsalfar, Op.56 16’59
10 I. Prelude – The Matching Game – March 3’47
11 II. Intermezzo – Borghild’s Dream 3’17
12 III. Homage March 9’55

Disc 7

Edvard Grieg
Holberg Suite, Op.40 23’20
01 Prelude 2’40
02 Sarabande 4’15
03 Gavotte 3’16
04 Air 9’26
05 Rigaudon 3’43

Two Elegiac Melodies, Op.34 8’04
06 The wounded Heart 3’23
07 Last Spring 4’41

Waltz-Caprices, Op.37 10’26
08 I. Tempo di valse moderato 6’22
09 II. Tempo di valse 4’04

from Olav Trygvason, Op.50 8’04
10 I. Prayer 2’55
11 II. Temple Dance 5’09

Two Nordic Melodies, Op.63 13’09
12 In Folk Style 8’08
13 Cowcall and Peasant Dance – (1) Cowcall 2’11
14 (2) Peasant Dance 2’50

Disc 8

Edvard Grieg
19 Norwegian Folksongs, Op.66 28’21
01 Cow-call 1’14
02 It is the greatest foolishness 0’59
03 A King ruled in the East 0’52
04 The Siri Dale Song 0’56
05 It was in my Youth 2’11
06 Call and Lullaby 1’33
07 Lullaby 0’53
08 Call 1’00
09 It was a little lad 1’01
10 Tomorrow you shall marry 1’15
11 There stood two girls 1’13
12 Ranveig 0’25
13 A little grey man 0’45
14 In Ola Valley, in Ola Tarn 2’42
15 Lullaby 2’14
16 Little Astrid 0’59
17 Lullaby 2’19
18 I wander deep in thought 4’56
19 Gjendine’s Lullaby 0’54

6 Song Arrangements, Op.41 17’05
20 I. Cradle Song 1’56
21 II. Little Haakon 3’12
22 III. I love thee 3’12
23 IV. She is so white 1’16
24 V. The Princess 5’04
25 VI. To Spring 2’25

6 Song Arrangements, Op.52 18’06
26 I. Mother’s Grief 2’48
27 II. The first Meeting 3’21
28 III. You cannot grasp the wave’s eternal course 1’46
29 IV. Solveig’s Song 4’36
30 V. Love 2’26
31 VI. Old Mother 3’09

Disc 9

Edvard Grieg
Slåtter, Op.72 35’57
01 Gibøens Bridal Marsch 2’39
02 Jon Væstafæs Springdance 2’13
03 Bridalmarch from Telemark 2’45
04 Halling from the Fairy Hill 3’55
05 Springdance from Os 1’04
06 Gangar after Myllarguten 1’11
07 Røtnamns-Knut. Halling 4’31
08 Bridal March after Myllarguten 2’42
09 Nils Rekves halling 1’05
10 Knut Luråsens halling I 1’20
11 Knut Luråsens halling II 2’26
12 Springdance after Myllarguten 1’09
13 Håvar Gibøen’s Dream at Oterholt bridge 1’47
14 The Bridal Procession of the Goblins at Voss 2’05
15 The Bride from Skuldal 2’12
16 The Girls from Kivledal 1’25
17 Kivlemøyane. Gangar 1’28

Moods, Op.73 21’58
18 I. Resignation 1’35
19 II. Scherzo-Impromptu 2’43
20 III. Night Ride 5’27
21 IV. Folk Tune 2’49
22 V. Studie (Hommage a Chopin) 1’57
23 VI. Students’ Serenade 3’12
24 VII. Mountain Tune 4’15

Three Piano Pieces, Op. posth. 11’39
25 I. Tempest Clouds 4’49
26 II. Procession of the Gnomes 1’57
27 III. In the Whirl of Dance 4’53

Disc 10

Edvard Grieg
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.16 31’45
01 I. Allegro molto moderato 13’38
02 II. Adagio 7’13
03 III. Allegro moderato molto e marcato 10’54

Norwegian Dances for piano 4 hands, Op.35 17’23
04 I. Allegro marcato 6’16
05 II. Allegretto traquillo e grazioso 2’02
06 III. Allegro moderato alla marcia 2’57
07 IV. Allegro molto 6’08

Two Romances, Op.53 9’19
08 I. Norwegian 4’48
09 II. The First Meeting 4’31

6 Norwegian Mountain Melodies, Op.112 5’01
10 I. Rustic Dance 0’55
11 II. Lullaby 1’05
12 III. Rustic Dance 0’24
13 IV. Popular Ditty 0’52
14 V. Halling 0’26
15 VI. The Lad and the Lass on the Barn Floor 1’19

Disc 11

Edvard Grieg
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.16 Original 1868/1872 version 30’02
01 I. Allegro molto moderato 13’00
02 II. Adagio 6’36
03 III. Allegro moderato molto e marcato 10’26

04 Larviks-Polka, EG101 (1858) 1’02

(23) Smaastykker, EG104 (1859) (23 Small Piano Pieces) 27’56
05 I. Allegro agitato 0’47
06 II. Allegro desiderio 0’58
07 III. Molto Allegro vivace 0’45
08 IV. Andante; quasi Allegretto 1’08
09 V. Allegro assai 0’58
10 VI. Allegro con moto 1’31
11 VII. Andante, quasi Allegretto 2’18
12 VIII. Präludium. Allegretto assai 0’52
13 IX. Andante, moderato 0’58
14 X. Andante con gravità 0’49
15 XI. Vivace 0’51
16 XII. Largo con estro poetica 0’58
17 XIII. Allegretto con moto 0’39
18 XIV. Allegretto con moto 1’20
19 XV. 2-stemmig präludium. Con passione 0’52
20 XVI. Allegro assai, quasi Presto 1’21
21 XVII. Molto Adagio religioso 1’50
22 XVIII. Allegro molto 0’42
23 XIX. Andante moderato 1’38
24 XX. Allegro vivace 1’14
25 XXI. Andante moderato 2’04
26 XXII. Nicht zu schnell, ruhig 2’13
27 XXIII. Assai Allegro furioso 1’10

Disc 12

Edvard Grieg
Tre Klaverstykker, EG105 (Three piano Pieces) 8’08
01 I. Allegro agitato 2’08
02 II. Allegretto 2’41
03 III. Allegro molto e vivace, quasi Presto 3’19

04 Agitato, EG106 2’57

Ved Halfdan Kjerulfs Minnestötte (At Halfdan Kjerulf´s Memorial) 6’35
05 I. Poco adagio 4’14
06 II. Andante 2’21

Ten Song Arrangements from Norges Melodier (Norwegian Melodies) ((1875) 12’11
07 No.8: Margaetes Vugggesang 1’31
08 No.14: Norsk Sjömandssang 0’37
09 No.17: Fremad! 1’34
10 No.38: Ungbirken 0’59
11 No.57: Björneskytten 0’30
12 No.71: Min Tankes Tanke 1’34
13 No.90: Vandring i Skoven 1’29
14 No.95: To brune Öjne 1’02
15 No.113: Serenade til Welhaven 0’58
16 No.150: Det förste Möde 1’57

From Peer Gynt, Op.23 18’28
17 Forspill til 3. akt. Aases Död (Prelude to Act 3. The Death of Åse) 3’59
18 Arabisk Dans (Arab Dance) 4’47
19 Anitras Dans (Anitra´s Dance) 3’14
20 Solveigs Sang (Solveig´s Song) 4’57
21 Dans av Dovregubbens Datter (Dance of the Mountain King´s Daughter) 1’31

Edvard Grieg
22 Albumblad (Album Leaf), EG109 4’30

23 Bojarernes Indtogsmarsch, EG183 (The Entry of the Boyars) 4’36