Book Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1906 edition. Excerpt: ... ORCHESTRAL AND CHAMBER MUSIC While the majority of Grieg's works are songs and pianoforte pieces, there is yet a goodly supply of orchestral and chamber music. The "Grieg Katalog," printed by C. F. Peters in Leipsic* contains a list of nine works for orchestra: Overture, "In the Autumn," op. 1 1; "Two Elegiac Melodies" for string orchestra, op. 34; "Norwegian Dances," op. 35; "Holberg Suite" for string orchestra, op. 40; "Peer Gynt Suites," I. and II., op. 46 and 55; "Two Melodies" for string orchestra, op. 53; "Sigurd Jorsalfar," op. 56; "Two Northern Melodies" for string orchestra, op. 66. The orchestration of these pieces (op. 35 is by another hand) reveals Grieg as a consummate master of the art of painting delicate yet glowing colours on his canvas. These colours are more like those of Schubert and Dvorak than like those of Berlioz and Richard Strauss; in the visual world they have an analogue in the ethereal yet brilliant beauty of the Santa Rosa (Shirley) poppies created by Luther Burbank of California, the floral reformer, which elicit " ohs !" and " ahs !" from all who see them. Originality, too, is manifested by Grieg in this department of music as in all others. Professor Prout, in his standard work on orchestration (Vol. II, p. 254) strongly urges students to examine as being "particularly instructive" the " Holberg Suite," written for pianoforte and arranged by the composer for orchestra, by way of learning "how much alteration may sometimes be necessary in orchestral transcriptions of pianoforte music." In another place he cites the Andante Doloroso (Aase's Death) from the first "Peer Gynt" suite, where the opening theme is repeated very loudly, and remarks: "Here we have five-part harmony; and a strange and very unusual...