Classical Music | Piano Music

Edvard Grieg

In Quiet Woods, Tenderness  Play

Sandra Mogensen Piano

Recorded on 01/11/2009, uploaded on 02/25/2009

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

 

Edvard Grieg was a master of the miniature, and with the exception of the famous Piano Concerto in A minor, many of his most well-known compositions are shorter works. Among them are the numerous Lyric Pieces for piano, which Grieg produced fairly consistently between 1866 and 1901. The first collection, known as Book I and containing eight pieces, appeared in 1867 as the composer’s opus 12. In 1883, Grieg composed a second set, and from then on produced a new collection of piano miniatures at intervals of two to three years until the tenth and last was published in 1901. By then, there was a total of sixty-six pieces. Each book was an instant success, and contain some of Grieg’s most beloved music.

“Skogstillhet” (“In Quiet Woods”) comes from the final volume of Grieg’s Lyric Pieces. Coming fourth in that set, it is an introspective piece that will perhaps bring to mind the music of Robert Schumann. In the key of B major and marked Lento, it begins with two quiet chords and the distinctive sound of open fifths between them that lend the music an Impressionistic air. An accompaniment of broken chords then begins in the left hand, which forms much of the melodic underpinnings throughout the entire piece, followed by an enchanting tune, the piece’s principal melody, in the right. No secondary idea is presented following the conclusion of the principal melody, only a related idea in the key of the dominant. From there, Grieg modestly develops his melodic material, and soon returns to a reprise of the opening melody. However, following the restatement, Grieg proceeds to fragment the melody—some marked stretto and quickening in pace; others are marked tranquillo, returning the music to its original reflective tone. Ultimately, the music recedes into quiet arpeggios that lead to the final serene tonic chords.     Joseph DuBose

 

From a live performance at the "Grieg Festival" in Winter Park, Florida, January 2009.  These 2 pieces are also included on the CD recording: SANDRA MOGENSEN: Piano Music of Edvard Grieg on the Chestnut Hill label. Available through www.sandramogensen.com and cdbaby.com