Edvard Grieg

'Piano Sonata'   Op 7   Edvard Grieg   1865   Revised 1887

Piano: Katarina Andjelkovic

Rachel Hocking   IMSLP   MusOpen   Wikipedia

'Lyric Pieces'   Op 12-Op 71   Edvard Grieg   1867-1901

Piano: Chris Breemer

Georg Predota   Wikipedia

Grieg had married his Unitarian wife, Nina, on 11 June 1867, she a soprano with whom he made his home in Christiana, which was Oslo at the time. He and Nina often performed together. Grieg wrote his famous 'Piano Concerto' in A minor Op 16 in 1868 toward performing on 3 April 1869 and publishing in 1872. Grieg wrote this shortly after Nina gave birth to his daughter, Alexandria, who would die at age one. No further children followed. Grieg would begin a second concerto in the early eighties, but didn't finish it.

'Piano Concerto'   Op 16 in A minor   Edvard Grieg   1868

Premiere 3 April 1869 in Copenhagen

London Symphony Orchestra / André Previn   Piano: Arthur Rubinstein

Fort Worth SO   IMSLP   Rhode Island Phil   Terez Rose   Wikipedia

Grieg found a champion in Franz Liszt in Rome in 1870. Liszt was the Stan Kenton of classical music, the go-to guy to advance one's musical career, he of assistance in one manner or another to not a few composers. Grieg premiered his incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's 1867 play, 'Peer Gynt', in Christiana on 24 February 1876. He later published a couple of suites from out of 'Peer Gynt', the first being 'Peer Gynt Suite No.1' Op 46 composed in 1875 toward publishing in Leipzig in 1888. 'Peer Gynt Suite No.2' wasn't composed until 1891 toward publishing in 1893.

'In the Hall of the Mountain King'   Op 23   Incidental music by Edvard Grieg

From Act 2 Scene 6 of 'Peer Gynt'

Comp 1875   Premiere 24 Feb 1876 in Christiania (Oslo)

See also No.4 of 4 of 'Peer Gynt Suite No.1'

Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra / Jacek Kaspszyk

Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall   21 Feb 2016

Wikipedia

'Morning Mood'   Op 23   Incidental music by Edvard Grieg

From Act 4 Scene 4 of 'Peer Gynt'

Comp 1875   Premiere 24 Feb 1876 in Christiania (Oslo)

See also No.1 of 4 of 'Peer Gynt Suite No.1'

Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra / Jacek Kaspszyk

Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall   21 Feb 2016

Wikipedia

Edvard Grieg

'Peer Gynt Suite No.1'   Op 43   Comp 1875   Pub 1888

1. Morning Mood

2. Death of Åse

3. Anitra's Dance

4. In the Hall of the Mountain King

IMSLP   Blair Johnson   Wikipedia

"Peer Gynt Suite No.2'    Op 55   Comp 1891   Pub 1893

1. The Abduction of the Bride (Ingrid's Lament)

2. Arabian Dance

3. Peer Gynt's Homecoming (Stormy Evening on the Sea)

4. Solveig's Song

IMSLP   Blair Johnson   Wikipedia

Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra / Bjarte Engeset

Both Edvard's parents died in 1875, whence he began his most aspiring piano piece, finishing his 'Ballade' in G minor in the spring of 1876. With the folk song 'Den nordlanske bondestand' ('The Northland Peasantry') for its theme, that was a series of fourteen variations ending with a coda. Come the second of his three string quartets in 1878. His first during the early sixties was lost. His third was left unfinished in 1891.

'Ballade'   Op 24 in G minor   Edvard Grieg   1876

Piano: Gregory Martin Holberg

G. Henle Verlag   IMSLP   Pallimed   Wikipedia

'String Quartet No.1'   Op 17 in G minor   Edvard Grieg

Premiere Oct 1878 in Cologne

Performance above: Copenhagen String Quartet

IMSLP   Wikipedia

Grieg became director of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in 1880 for a couple of years. Per above, his 'Piano Concerto' in B minor EG 120 was begun in 1882 but left largely undone. Come his only 'Cello Sonata' Op 36 in 1883, dedicated to his brother, John. Grieg also composed two violin sonatas, one in 1867, finishing the other in 1887. In 1884 he honored Norwegian playwright, Ludvig Holberg (1684–1754), with his 'Holberg Suite' Op 40 in five movements.

'Cello Sonata'   Op 36 in A minor   Edvard Grieg   1883

Cello: Mischa Maisky   Piano: Copenhagen String Quartet

Verbier Festival in Switzerland   2008

IMSLP   Steven Isserlis   Wikipedia

'Holberg Suite'   Op 40   Edvard Grieg   1884

1. Praeludium

2. Sarabande

3. Gavotte

4. Air

5. Rigaudon

Netherlands Chamber Orchestra / Gordan Nikolic

Classic FM   IMSLP   Jessica Getman   Matthew Mendez   Jeremy Nicholas   TŌN   Wikipedia

In 1894 Grieg accepted an honorary doctorate from Cambridge University, another to follow from Oxford in 1906. In 1897 he completed his 'Symphonic Dances' Op 64 toward performance in 1898.

'Symphonic Dances'   Op 64   Four dances by Edvard Grieg   1897

University of Washington Campus Philharmonia Orchestra / Ryan Farris

Robert Cummings   IMSLP   Vincent Osborn   Score

Grieg isn't the first classical composer of note to document his music on flat disc. That was female composer and pianist, Cecil Chaminade, in London in 1901. He is, however, the first composer in these histories to have recorded on flat disc, that being nine titles on 2 May of 1903 in Paris for the Gramophone & Typewriter Company. Camille Saint-Saëns would record for the same enterprise in 1904. Among titles that Grieg documented were, in the order that they were composed, 'Humoresque' Op 6 No.2 of 4 from 'Humoresken' which premiered no later than 5 October 1866, 'Bridal Procession' Op 19 No.2 of 3 from 'Scenes of Country Life' composed circa 1870, 'To Spring' Op 43 No.6 of 6 from 'Lyric Pieces' composed in 1886 and 'Wedding Day at Troldhaugen' Op 65 No.6 of 6 from 'Lyric Pieces' composed in 1896. Grieg's experimental recordings weren't intended to be released to the general public. In the order that they were authored:

'Humoresque' from 'Humoresken'   Op 6 No.2   Piano recording by Edvard Grieg

Premiere 5 Oct 1866   Recorded 2 May 1903 in Paris

IMSLP   Score   Wikipedia Dutch   Wikipedia Norwegian

'Bridal Procession' from 'Scenes of Country Life'   Op 19 No.2   Piano recording by Edvard Grieg

C 1870   Recorded 2 May 1903 in Paris

IMSLP   Blair Johnston

'To Spring' from 'Lyric Pieces'   Op 43 No.6   Piano recording by Edvard Grieg

1886   Recorded 2 May 1903 in Paris   Matrix 2147F   Gramophone 0355110

DAHR   IMSLP   Wikipedia

'Wedding Day at Troldhaugen' from 'Lyric Pieces'   Op 65 No.6   Piano recording by Edvard Grieg

1896   Recorded 2 May 1903 in Paris

Robert Cummings   IMSLP   Score   Wikipedia

Grieg is also the first composer in these histories to have produced piano rolls for player pianos, thought to have slightly preceded Carl Reinecke who also made piano rolls in 1904. Grieg punched 'Butterfly' Op 43 No.1 for Aeolian on an unidentified date that year. 'Butterfly' is also known as 'Papillon', 'Schmetterling' or 'Sommerfugl'. Grieg made another piano roll of 'Butterfly' in April of 1906. Other of his piano rolls of 1906 were 'Berceuse' Op 38 No.1 from 'Lyric Pieces' [score] and 'Erotikon' Op 43 No.5 from 'Lyric Pieces'.

'Papillon' (Butterfly') from 'Lyric Pieces'   Op 3 No.1   Piano roll by Edvard Grieg

1896   Recorded April 1906

IMSLP   Wikipedia

Grieg's last Opus is assigned to '4 Psalms' Op 74 for baritone and choir composed in 1906, published 1907 [IMSLP / score].

'4 Psalms'   Op 74 No.1   Edvard Grieg

'Hvad est du dog skjön'   'What Are You, Beautiful?'

Comp 1906   Published 1907

Malmö Chamber Choir

'4 Psalms'   Op 74 No.2   Edvard Grieg

'Guds Sön har gjort mig fri'   'The Son of God Has Set Me Free'

Comp 1906   Published 1907

Gloriæ Dei Cantores led by Elizabeth C. Patterson   2009

This album

'4 Psalms'   Op 74 No.3   Edvard Grieg

'Jesus Kristus Er Opfahreni'   'Jesus Christ Rises'

Comp 1906   Published 1907

Huygens Vocal Ensemble led by Hans Tijssen

De Bergkerk in Deventer, Netherlands   27 Nov 2011

'4 Psalms'   Op 74 No.4   Edvard Grieg

'I Himmelen'   'In Heaven'

Comp 1906   Published 1907

Grex Vocalis / Carl Høgset

This album at Grex Vocalis   This album at Tidal

Grieg's final words were reportedly "Well, if it must be so" upon his death in Bergen, Norway, on 4 September 1907. About 35,000 attended his funeral. His wife, Nina, lived onward until passing in Copenhagen on 7 December 1935.