Demo Track 4 - Grieg
Grieg's Lyric Pieces are perhaps his most well-known.
He's written ten books of them, 66 in total, the great majority of them following the popular style of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century: short, not too complicated character pieces, mostly following an ABA form.
He wrote them throughout his entire composing career - so often, that he once put in a letter (to his friend Julius Röntgen) "I have been lyric once again. Can't you please cure me of this affliction?"
This particular piece is opus 71 no. 1 - the first piece of the last book - and is called "Det var Engang" in Norwegian; "Once upon a time" in English.
It too follows an ABA form; the first melody, based on a Swedish folk song, is melancholy, almost plaintive, the second part is quite happy in contrast - a Norwegian dance melody - which makes the return of the first part almost eerie in the end.
This particular version was recorded the 27th of August 2014 at Artichoque Recording.
