I am usually quite sceptical about piano transcriptions of orchestral pieces (even if it was written by the composer themselves) but you really managed to bring these to life. I do think some of Grieg's music is - let's say - overused, but as a composer I lean towards finding him underrated rather than overrated and I don't think his music usually gets the respect it deserves. I remember you covering "Peace of the woods" a few months ago, and I was quite pleasantly surprised. His ability to create mood and atmosphere through music is perhaps only second to Debussy, and his music can be incredibly powerful at times, (his string quartet is a great example of this) belying the widespread image of him as a talented but ultimately insignificant composer of simple characterpieces.
Overused would be a much more apt descriptor... unfortunately it doesn't create as satisfying a title! But seriously, he is very much underappreciated. A master miniaturist is not less in my estimation than a composer of great symphonies, but you don't always find this opinion in the classical music community. And he was quite successful in larger works when he put his mind to it!
Fantastic playing as usual! Thank you! And, yes, the title is such a shameless clickbait that I wonder whether it's your own ironic tribute to Grieg's self-irony described in that quote regarding the Hall of the Mountain King. :) I love Grieg's music in general and this suite in particular. Here, he creates magic from such limited musical material - the sort of genius that reliably makes me dumbfounded. For the second number, "The Death of Åse" I wouldn't say that the A-section never returns - in fact I think it never disappears. For me the second half of the piece is an absolutely otherworldy variation of the first half. The rhythmic parallel is quite clear, the melody and harmony are of course rather different, but the mourning atmosphere remains, if resigned rather than desperate. I hear the echo of the first half all the way through to the end. For "Anitra's Dance" I think the Tempo di Mazurka is simply a tempo indication. It is so far removed from any Polish character - and so similar to many of Grieg's Norwegian folk-musings - that I think an actual mazurka is not meant to be invoked or even alluded to here. Of course, I am merely spewing biased opinions. :) Thank you again for giving us a masterful, imaginative and thoroughly enjoyable rendition of these wonderful pieces!
Great insights! I was rather confused about the "Tempo di Mazurka" indication. It does have the typical emphasized 3rd beat, but other than that not much similarity to the Polish original so I think you are right!
I would agree with you about what you said about "The Death of Åse." I think that the "second melody" is almost an inversion of the first. Because it is portraying a death, the increasing agitation turning to peaceful acceptance, communicated through the life theme turning upside down, perfectly reflects the story.
Grainger's piano roll recording of Schumann's Symphonic Etudes is really quite amazing. I knew he was a reputable concert pianist but it really caused me to take him seriously on a whole different level.
Don't forget he made one of the first electrical recordings of the piece in 1925. So that means 78ths. It is very very good! Easy to find on youtube ;-)
Once again, a wonderful performance. Grieg’s music is actually, I’d argue, underrated. Maybe the “In the Hall of the Mountain King” and the Piano Concerto are the exception, but they’re still great pieces. Many thanks! On a side tangent, I wonder what you’d think of Edward MacDowell, Grieg’s American counterpart. He was alive in the same time period as Grieg, and they have so much in common! They’re both well known for their miniatures, and the only large scale works that get played by either composer is a piano concerto. I happen to have a soft spot for MacDowell’s Hexentanz “Witches’ Dance”.
I agree, Grieg is definitely underrated-at least in certain circles. MacDowell is great! I'd love to take a look at some of his music on the channel. I remember there was a concert etude that I really liked... Maybe Hexentanz as well. Thanks for the idea!
Naughty you with your clever clickbait to hook in an audience! (It would make for an interesting exploration, juxtaposing those pieces of classical music that have achieved mass appeal with notions of enthusiastic popularity condemning all such music as 'overrated'.) As ever, your commentary on this work by Grieg was well grounded and generous in your admiration of music that works wonderfully in your solo piano interpretation (even if you were a little inspired by the idiosyncratic Percy Grainger!). Henrik Ibsen recognised that Grieg was the right choice for creating music that would match the moods he wanted to evoke in his play, which tells the story of a Norwegian peasant who leaves his village for many years to restore the family fortunes, experiencing countless adventures throughout far away lands. I really enjoyed your performance, Cole - and I'm sure Edvard would have appreciated your playing as well. (You are right in your correction of John Ryskamp with it being Debussy, and not Brahms, who referred to Grieg's music as 'snow-filled bonbons'. I'd like to think this sarcasm was touched with affection - maybe Edvard could have responded with a 'transposed' biblical quote: 'Let he who is without impressionism cast the first bonbon!) 🤣
Unbelievably, when I read the words "flute and oboe" at 9:01 I actually began to hear those instruments for the first few seconds! Perhaps the clickbait video title doesn't do justice to your enlightening commentary and impressive playing (including the tasteful modifications, with the only exception of the 3rd and 4th to last bars I think).
Thank you for watching! As long as the title gets more people to watch the video I guess I am content enough... Were you referring to the last bars of the "Morning Mood?" Happy to hear comments if you found some changes less convincing, I just wasn't sure which ones you meant.
This is kinda random but whats the most intresting/addictive piece of music youve heard this month? (ive been asking over youtube alot) Also how the hell is your piano so loud its awesome
That's a fun question. Probably a split between a beautiful arrangement of the Neapolitan folk song "Ninna Nanna" done by Pink Martini, and Berlioz's "Harold in Italy." I am a Berlioz junky in general :-)
Fantastic playing, I thoroughly enjoyed it. In the Hall of the Mountain King really is such a fun piece (if you aren't sick of hearing it for the umpteenth time).
How is your piano the most crisp-sounding, senstive, emotive and resonant instrument I've ever heard. No doubt your playing aids this, however that piano is a gem. Bravo!!!
I don’t have time to watch this right now but do you talk at all about the second suite? Less played but I think at a much higher level overall - individually and as a set. The first suite is perfection though. It’s tempting to push back against popular pieces, but they really are popular for a reason!
Overrated maybe in perspective to the general underratedness of so many great work, but i still think peer gynt has a lot to offer. Also, I personnally would not consider it a good example for overrated classical music.
@@TheIndependentPianist Rondo alla turca or für elise would be way ahead of peer gynt on the „overratedness scale“ in my opinion. Same for Brahms’ 5th hungarian dance or the flight of the bumblebee.
But often i guess its easy to jump to conclusions that some often heard music is overrated, when in fact it is still very nice music (peer gynt, the four seasons, the opening movement of beethovens 5th or toccata and fugue in d minor, just to name a few)
I am usually quite sceptical about piano transcriptions of orchestral pieces (even if it was written by the composer themselves) but you really managed to bring these to life.
I do think some of Grieg's music is - let's say - overused, but as a composer I lean towards finding him underrated rather than overrated and I don't think his music usually gets the respect it deserves. I remember you covering "Peace of the woods" a few months ago, and I was quite pleasantly surprised. His ability to create mood and atmosphere through music is perhaps only second to Debussy, and his music can be incredibly powerful at times, (his string quartet is a great example of this) belying the widespread image of him as a talented but ultimately insignificant composer of simple characterpieces.
Overused would be a much more apt descriptor... unfortunately it doesn't create as satisfying a title! But seriously, he is very much underappreciated. A master miniaturist is not less in my estimation than a composer of great symphonies, but you don't always find this opinion in the classical music community. And he was quite successful in larger works when he put his mind to it!
Fantastic playing as usual! Thank you!
And, yes, the title is such a shameless clickbait that I wonder whether it's your own ironic tribute to Grieg's self-irony described in that quote regarding the Hall of the Mountain King. :)
I love Grieg's music in general and this suite in particular. Here, he creates magic from such limited musical material - the sort of genius that reliably makes me dumbfounded.
For the second number, "The Death of Åse" I wouldn't say that the A-section never returns - in fact I think it never disappears. For me the second half of the piece is an absolutely otherworldy variation of the first half. The rhythmic parallel is quite clear, the melody and harmony are of course rather different, but the mourning atmosphere remains, if resigned rather than desperate. I hear the echo of the first half all the way through to the end.
For "Anitra's Dance" I think the Tempo di Mazurka is simply a tempo indication. It is so far removed from any Polish character - and so similar to many of Grieg's Norwegian folk-musings - that I think an actual mazurka is not meant to be invoked or even alluded to here. Of course, I am merely spewing biased opinions. :)
Thank you again for giving us a masterful, imaginative and thoroughly enjoyable rendition of these wonderful pieces!
Great insights! I was rather confused about the "Tempo di Mazurka" indication. It does have the typical emphasized 3rd beat, but other than that not much similarity to the Polish original so I think you are right!
I would agree with you about what you said about "The Death of Åse." I think that the "second melody" is almost an inversion of the first. Because it is portraying a death, the increasing agitation turning to peaceful acceptance, communicated through the life theme turning upside down, perfectly reflects the story.
Grainger's piano roll recording of Schumann's Symphonic Etudes is really quite amazing. I knew he was a reputable concert pianist but it really caused me to take him seriously on a whole different level.
Now I finished listening, you are one hell of an independent pianist!
He’s got a bunch of amazing recordings, and I am impressed that many of his rolls actually sound very good!
@@lerippletoe6893 thank you!
Don't forget he made one of the first electrical recordings of the piece in 1925. So that means 78ths. It is very very good! Easy to find on youtube ;-)
Once again, a wonderful performance. Grieg’s music is actually, I’d argue, underrated. Maybe the “In the Hall of the Mountain King” and the Piano Concerto are the exception, but they’re still great pieces. Many thanks!
On a side tangent, I wonder what you’d think of Edward MacDowell, Grieg’s American counterpart. He was alive in the same time period as Grieg, and they have so much in common! They’re both well known for their miniatures, and the only large scale works that get played by either composer is a piano concerto.
I happen to have a soft spot for MacDowell’s Hexentanz “Witches’ Dance”.
I agree, Grieg is definitely underrated-at least in certain circles. MacDowell is great! I'd love to take a look at some of his music on the channel. I remember there was a concert etude that I really liked... Maybe Hexentanz as well. Thanks for the idea!
@@TheIndependentPianist his Keltic sonata is a blast!
Naughty you with your clever clickbait to hook in an audience! (It would make for an interesting exploration, juxtaposing those pieces of classical music that have achieved mass appeal with notions of enthusiastic popularity condemning all such music as 'overrated'.) As ever, your commentary on this work by Grieg was well grounded and generous in your admiration of music that works wonderfully in your solo piano interpretation (even if you were a little inspired by the idiosyncratic Percy Grainger!). Henrik Ibsen recognised that Grieg was the right choice for creating music that would match the moods he wanted to evoke in his play, which tells the story of a Norwegian peasant who leaves his village for many years to restore the family fortunes, experiencing countless adventures throughout far away lands. I really enjoyed your performance, Cole - and I'm sure Edvard would have appreciated your playing as well. (You are right in your correction of John Ryskamp with it being Debussy, and not Brahms, who referred to Grieg's music as 'snow-filled bonbons'. I'd like to think this sarcasm was touched with affection - maybe Edvard could have responded with a 'transposed' biblical quote: 'Let he who is without impressionism cast the first bonbon!) 🤣
A perfect reply to Monsieur Croche! I love Debussy's music to distraction, but he certainly could be a stick in the mud sometimes as a critic!
Awesome job! The ending was epic. And the morning one went interesting places.
Unbelievably, when I read the words "flute and oboe" at 9:01 I actually began to hear those instruments for the first few seconds!
Perhaps the clickbait video title doesn't do justice to your enlightening commentary and impressive playing (including the tasteful modifications, with the only exception of the 3rd and 4th to last bars I think).
Thank you for watching! As long as the title gets more people to watch the video I guess I am content enough... Were you referring to the last bars of the "Morning Mood?" Happy to hear comments if you found some changes less convincing, I just wasn't sure which ones you meant.
@@TheIndependentPianist I just meant the two bars at 23:50 in Mountain King with the figure jumping up then down octaves.
@@hangfromthefloor Ah yes, that was actually Ginzburg's change!
This is kinda random but whats the most intresting/addictive piece of music youve heard this month? (ive been asking over youtube alot)
Also how the hell is your piano so loud its awesome
That's a fun question. Probably a split between a beautiful arrangement of the Neapolitan folk song "Ninna Nanna" done by Pink Martini, and Berlioz's "Harold in Italy." I am a Berlioz junky in general :-)
And to the 2nd question... I don't know, I guess I play loud!
@@TheIndependentPianist thats interesting, my favourite this month was from a string quartet by derek david
I love Peer Gynt. Look forward to more suites.
Fantastic playing, I thoroughly enjoyed it. In the Hall of the Mountain King really is such a fun piece (if you aren't sick of hearing it for the umpteenth time).
How is your piano the most crisp-sounding, senstive, emotive and resonant instrument I've ever heard. No doubt your playing aids this, however that piano is a gem. Bravo!!!
I’m really enjoying the extra notes👍
Thanks!
It would be cool if these performances were on UA-cam music (or Spotify) as well. I would add them into a playlist.
I don’t have time to watch this right now but do you talk at all about the second suite? Less played but I think at a much higher level overall - individually and as a set. The first suite is perfection though. It’s tempting to push back against popular pieces, but they really are popular for a reason!
No glissando at the end? 😄
Haha, yeah I thought it was a little too silly sounding. The original is a bit more grim.
...And Vivaldi's Four Season's used to be ineluctable lift music. It doesn't make the music bad, just modern usage very painful.
Overrated maybe in perspective to the general underratedness of so many great work, but i still think peer gynt has a lot to offer. Also, I personnally would not consider it a good example for overrated classical music.
Which would be good examples of overrated pieces? (Maybe for a future video....)
@@TheIndependentPianist Rondo alla turca or für elise would be way ahead of peer gynt on the „overratedness scale“ in my opinion. Same for Brahms’ 5th hungarian dance or the flight of the bumblebee.
But often i guess its easy to jump to conclusions that some often heard music is overrated, when in fact it is still very nice music (peer gynt, the four seasons, the opening movement of beethovens 5th or toccata and fugue in d minor, just to name a few)
The Death of Åse is heartbreaking, my favorite of the suite
One of my favorites as well-A very powerful 2nd mvt.
Brahm called Grieg's music "snow-covered bonbons." C'est la phrase exacte.
I think it was Debussy who said that actually... I would have expected better from him!
Bonbons FILLED with snow!!