We choose the best pieces by Norway’s finest composer, Edvard Grieg
He wrote one of the most famous piano concertos, plus a collection of much-loved tone poems, while his solo piano music anticipates that of Debussy in its bold harmonic progressions. Here are some of the best works by Edvard Grieg, and some of the best recordings of those works.
Grieg’s Piano Concerto: best recording
Including one of the most famous concerto openings, Grieg’s sole completed work in the genre won Liszt’s admiration.
Recommended recording:
Leif Ove Andsnes; Berlin Philharmonic/Mariss Jansons
EMI 394 3992 (paired with an equally excellent rendition of the Schumann Piano Concerto)
Grieg’s Peer Gynt: best recording
Grieg’s incidental music to Ibsen’s drama includes two perennial hits – ‘Morning’ and the splendidly menacing ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King’.
Recommended recording:
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/Thomas Beecham
EMI 965 9342
Grieg’s Lyric Pieces: best recording
These unassuming yet haunting pieces sowed the seeds for some of the most revolutionary and forward-looking music of the 20th century.
Recommended recording:
Emil Gilels
DG 449 7212
Grieg’s Holberg Suite: best recording
Classical grace appropriately informs this suite in homage to the 18th-century Norwegian-born playwright Ludvig Holberg, born a year before Bach, Handel and Scarlatti.
Recommended recording:
Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra/Neeme Järvi
Grieg’s Haugtussa: best recording
Grieg’s genius is most evident in his songs, largely inspired by the singing talent of his wife. His song cycle Haugtussa (‘The Mountain Maid’) is one of his greatest works, with strikingly impressionistic piano writing.
Recommended recording:
Katarina Karnéus (mezzo-soprano), Julius Drake (piano)
Hyperion CDA 67670