Edvard Grieg
Piano Sonata e minor op. 7
The op. 7 Sonata was Grieg’s first major piano work. While traditional in form and structure, its originality is expressed through the incorporation of elements from Scandinavian dances and folk tunes. A recording of the piece made by Grieg himself in 1903 shows the virtuosic manner in which the composer approached his task: the tempi of the outer movements are markedly brisk, the whole performance bright and vivacious.
About the Composer
Edvard Grieg
Most important Norwegian composer of the nineteenth century and promoter of Norwegian folk music. His lyrical character pieces in particular are well known.
| 1843 | Born in Bergen on June 15, the son of a merchant and British consul; early piano lessons with his mother, who was a pianist. |
| 1858–62 | Studies at the Leipzig Conservatory. |
| 1862 | Concerts in Norway. |
| 1863 | Copenhagen, with the support of Niels W. Gade. |
| from 1864 | Interest in Norwegian folk music, which finds its way into his compositions. |
| 1866 | Breakthrough with a concert of Norwegian music. Conductor of the Philharmonic Society. |
| 1867 | The first of a total of ten volumes of Lyric Pieces for piano, Op. 12, with relatively simple piano settings. |
| 1868/69 | Composition of the Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16, which is based on Schumann’s piano concerto. |
| 1869 | “25 Norwegian Folk Melodies and Dances,” Op. 17, for piano. |
| 1873 | Begins work on the opera “Olav Trygvason,” Op. 50, after Bjørnson, which is never completed. |
| 1874 | Composition stipend from the state. |
| 1874/75 | Composition of incidental music to Ibsen’s “Peer Gynt,” Op. 23, the basis for the Peer Gynt Suites. |
| 1876 | Attends the premiere of Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen” in Bayreuth. |
| 1880–82 | Conductor of the “Harmonien” musical society in Bergen. Thereafter he accepted no other positions. |
| 1883 | Visit to Bayreuth; he hears Wagner’s “Parsifal.” |
| 1884 | Composition of “From Holberg’s Time,” Op. 40, his most popular work. |
| from 1885 | He moves into his villa “Troldhaugen” (near Bergen). Composition and revision of older works in spring and summer, concert tours in fall and winter. |
| 1891 | Composition of the “Lyric Suite,” Op. 54, orchestrated in 1905. |
| 1907 | Death in Bergen on September 4. |
About the Authors
Ernst-Günter Heinemann (Editor)
Dr. Ernst-Günter Heinemann, born in 1945 in Bad Marienberg (Westerwald), completed his schooling in Gießen and read musicology, philosophy and German in Marburg and Frankfurt/Main and also for some time Protestant church music. He did his doctorate on “Franz Liszts geistliche Musik. Zum Konflikt von Kunst und Engagement”.
From 1978–2010 Heinemann worked as an editor at G. Henle Publishers (in 1978 in Duisburg, from 1979 onwards in Munich). He edited a great many Urtext editions for the publishing house, including “Das Wohltemperierte Klavier”, Volume 1 by Bach and all of Debussy’s piano works. In addition, he wrote essays on Debussy, Grieg, Liszt, Mendelssohn and questions concerning general editing, as well as giving seminars on editorial practice for musicology students in Munich.
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