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ORAL PRESENTATION

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)

Piano Concerto in A minor

MUM3120 10-Survey of Music History III

Dr. Gene Winters, Professor of Music

Guangyi Zou, Rachel

March 13, 2009

Biography

Edvard Grieg was born in Bergen, Norway on June 15, 1843 (6). He is the most

important Norwegian composer of the later 19th century (10). As a child, he showed a

strong interest in music and received his first music class from his mother, Gesine

Hagerup Grieg (5). Later on Grieg was encouraged by the violinist Ole Bull and

studied at the Leipzig Conservatory at his suggestion (10). Grieg had his first concert
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on August 18, 1861 in Karlshamn (9). Then he moved to Copenhagen and it was there

he met Rikard Nordraak and his wife Nina Hagerup. On the beginning of the 1870’s

Grieg cooperated extensively with Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson (3). Then Grieg started

working with Henrik Ibsen for Ibsen’s dramatic poem “Peer Gynt” (9). In his last 30

years Grieg spent much time on travels, and received quite a few awards. While Grieg

was in Bergen, 1907, he became seriously ill, and he died on September 4th (7).

Music

The two main characteristics of Grieg’s music are Simplicity and nationalism. It

captivates the Norwegian features which are solitary and peaceful nature of the

country, peasant-scenes and folk culture, and the soul of Norwegian people. Because
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of such nationalistic character, his music is always pure, charming, graceful, lyrical

and emotionally passionate, particularly his songs and miniature piano pieces (8).

Grieg’s famous compositions include Piano Concerto in A minor, incidental music for

Ibsen’s drama “Peer Gynt”, Lyric Pieces for piano, Holberg Suite, and the string

quartet in G minor (2).

Piano Concerto in A minor

Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor was composed in June 1868 at Søllerød in

Denmark. It was the only concerto Grieg completed (12). This masterpiece became

his final breakthrough as a composer, and after this he was reckoned as one of the

greatest composer in his time (9). Every time it is performed, the concerto evokes in
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both performers and audience strong associations with Norway (1). It was also one of

the most frequently performed concertos in Romantic movement (11).

Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor was actually compared to Schumann’s Piano

Concerto in A minor. Both concertos belong in the tradition of German Romanticism

(12). But the difference between these two pieces was that Grieg’s concerto has a

specifically national element with associations to Norwegian folk music. And it was

also strongly characterized by a sprightly rhythmic, melodic and harmonic

imagination (11).

The concerto is in three movements. The first movement is in Allegro molto

moderato (A minor). The second movement is in Adagio (D flat major). And the third
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movement is in Allegro moderato molto e marcato (A minor-F major-A major) (2/12).

The concerto opens with a sparking piano section, based on a motif which is often

described as the “Grieg motif”. This motif appears frequently in Grieg's melodies. He

borrowed it from Norwegian folk music, which also makes frequent use of it. The

elements of folk music are most clearly evident in the third movement, where

characteristics of the halling1 (in 2/4 time) and the springar2 (in 3/4 time) appear. The

music of the traditional Hardanger fiddle3 is subtly suggested in the piano part, with

pedal-point effects, open fifths, and sharp dissonances (11).

The Piano Concerto in A minor is a striking and technically demanding work that

retains much of its original freshness even today. It is now a part of the international

repertoire of piano music and is played constantly throughout the world (1).

Listening Example:

Piano Concerto in A minor: ·1st movement: 4/4 time, sonata form.

·*2nd movement: 3/8 time, compound ternary form

·*3rd movement: 2/4 time, sonata-rondo form

1. Halling, A Norwegian folk dance in a moderately fast duple meter, usually danced

by one dancer at a time and accompanied on the Hardingfele. (4)

2. Springar, A Norwegian folkdance in triple time, the most common type of

folkdance in Norway. (4)

3. Hardanger fiddle, Hardingfele. A folk fiddle of western Norway with four melody

strings plus four or five metal sympathetic strings running beneath the fingerboard.

(4)
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Work Cited

Articles/Internet Sources

1. Harald Herresthal, Edvard Grieg. Great Norwegians.

http://www.mnc.net/norway/GRIEG.HTM

2. John Horton and Nils Grinde, Grieg, Edvard (Hagerup). Grove Music Online.

http://libproxy.wmcarey.edu:2093/subscriber/article/grove/music/11757?q=grieg&s

earch=quick&pos=1&_start=1#firsthit

3. Robert Layton, Edvard (Hagerup) Grieg. The Oxford Companion to Music.

http://libproxy.wmcarey.edu:2093/subscriber/article/opr/t114/e3027?q=grieg&searc

h=quick&pos=4&_start=1#firsthit

Books

4. Don Michael Randel, The Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

5. K Marie Stolba, The Development of Western Music, A History, 3rd edition.

Internet Sources

6.http://library.thinkquest.org/C005340/culture.php3?id=artsandliterature/edvardgrieg/

7. http://www.arstrio.tw/musicians/Edvard-Grieg.php

8. http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Strasse/9981/grieg.html

9. http://www.kunstmuseene.no/Default.asp?enhet=troldhaugen&sp=2
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10. http://www.naxos.com/composerinfo/Edvard_Grieg_26082/26082.htm

11. http://www.pluto.no/ofo/OFO_97_98/cd/Grieg_PianoConcert.html

12. http://www.yyjy.com/yyjy/jp/gq/zs/zp/200311/496.html