The melodies, harmonies, moods, and rhythms of Norwegian folk songs and dances — even the sounds of old Norwegian folk instruments — inspired and filled the music of Edvard Grieg. These distinctive influences combined with the composer's deeply poetic nature and sensitive pianistic craft to produce a rich treasury of short compositions for piano.
Eighty of the best of these pieces have been selected for this outstanding collection. Among them are the well-known Four Norwegian Dances, Op, 35, the Scenes of Country Life, Op. 19, and the Ballade, Op. 24. Here, too, are the much-admired Slatter, Norwegian peasant dances Grieg arranged for piano from transcripts of country fiddle-playing, and music from two major stage works, Olav Trygvason and Sigurd Jorsalfar.
Complete contents are 25 Norwegian Folk Songs and Dances, Op. 17; Scenes of Country Life, Op. 19; Ballade in the Form of Variations on a Norwegian Folk Song, Op. 24; Improvisata on Norwegian Folk Tunes, Op. 29; Four Norwegian Dances, arr. of Op. 35; Valses-Caprices, arr. of Op. 37; Prayer and Temple Dance from Olav Trygvason, arr. from Op. 50; Three Orchestral Pieces from Sigurd Jorsalfar, arr. from Op. 56; Two Nordic Melodies, arr. of Op. 63; 19 Norwegian Folk Tunes, Op. 66; and Slatter (Norwegian Peasant Dances). Op. 72.
The lasting appeal of these compositions has made them among Grieg's most admired and performed works. They are reprinted here from authoritative editions published by C. F. Peters, Leipzig, in a sturdy attractive edition designed to provide pianists a lifetime of musical enjoyment.
