Grieg's Lyric Pieces

[sel]

I'm thinking of using Grieg's lyric pieces for intermediate level piano students, but i'm interested in pianists opinion about the level of difficulty, that is, which are the hardest, easiest etc and which have most teaching value.  the brooklet seems like it would be relatively difficult for beginners whereas the waltz in the beginning seems rather easy but i'm not certain for what grade students it would be suitable.  

[ahmedito]

The best for begginers and intermediate in my opinion are op. 12 and op. 68.

[bernhard]

All Grades are ABRSM grades (they go from 1 - 8 ):

Grades 4-5:

Op. 12/1 (Arietta)
Op. 12/2 (Waltz)
Op. 12/3 (Watchman's song)
Op. 12/5 (Folksong)
Op. 12/7 (Album leaf)
Op. 12/8 (National song)
Op. 38/2 (Folk song)
Op. 38/7 (Waltz)
Op. 43/2 (Solitary traveller)
Op. 43/3 (In my native country)
Op. 47/3 (melody)
Op. 47/7 (Elegy)
Op. 54/6 (Bell ringing)
Op. 65/5 (Ballad)
Op. 68/2 (Grandmother's menuet)
Op. 71/6 (gone)
Op. 71/7 (remembrance)

Grade 6:

Op. 12/4 (Fairy dance)
Op. 12/6 (norwegian dance)
Op. 38/3 (Melody)
Op. 38/4 (Halling)
Op. 38/6 (Elegy)
Op. 47/1 (Valse-Impromptu)
Op. 47/4 (Halling)
Op. 47/5 (Melancholy)
Op. 57/3 (Illusion)
Op. 57/4 (Secret)
Op. 62/2 (Gratitude)
Op. 62/3 (French Serenade)
Op. 62/5 (Phantom)
Op. 65/2 (Peasant's song)
Op. 68/3 (At your feet)
Op. 68/4 (Evening in the mountain)
Op. 68/5 (At the cradle)
Op. 71/3 (Puck)
Op. 71/4 (Peace of the Woods).

Grade 7:

Op. 38/1 (Berceuse)
Op. 38/5 (Springdans)
Op. 38/8 (Canon)
Op. 43/1 (Butterfly)
Op. 43/4 (Little bird)
Op. 43/5 (Erotykon)
Op. 54/1 (Shepherd's boy)
Op. 54/4 (Notturno)
Op. 54/5 (Scherzo)
Op. 57/2 (Gade)
Op. 57/6 (Home sickness)
Op. 62/1 (Sylphe)
Op. 65/3 (Melancholy)
Op. 65/4 (Salon)
Op. 68/1 (Sailor's song)
Op. 68/6 (Valse Melancholique)
Op. 71/1 (Once upon a time)
Op. 71/2 (Summer's eve)

Grade 8:

Op. 43/6 (To Spring)
Op. 47/2 (Album leaf)
Op. 47/6 (Springdans)
Op. 54/2 (Gangar)
Op. 57/1 (Vanished days)
Op. 57/5 (She dances)
Op. 62/4 (Brooklet)
Op. 62/6 (Homeward)
Op. 65/1 (From early years)
Op. 65/6 (Wedding day at Troldhaugen)

Advanced:

Op. 32 (March of the dwarfs)
Op. 71/5 (Halling)

There are a number of CDs with selections of the lyric pieces, most notably by Eml Gilels, Mikhail Pletnev and Leif Oves Andnes. I do not know if the complete set has ever been recorded, but I would be most interested  to be informed.

I hope this helps,
Bernhard.

[eddie92099]

I think Andsnes has recorded the complete set on Grieg's piano,
Ed

[bernhard]

Thanks. Ed

I have this CD, performed on Grieg's piano (EMI). However it is an incomplete set of the Lyric pieces (unless there is another volume).

Andnes has another,earlier CD (Virgin) in which he plays 18 Lyric pieces. Even with the EMI CD it is still incomplete.

And Einar Steen Nokleberg is recording the complete Grieg piano works for Naxos, but I think it is not complete yet, so I guess eventually this maybe the best bet.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[erak]

Bernhard, I disagree about March of the Trolls being in the Advanced level.

[bernhard]

Bernhard, I disagree about March of the Trolls being in the Advanced level.

It's a free country!

As with everything else in the universe, it depends.

As I said in my first post, difficulty is always subjective and personal. March of the Trolls (incidentally, there is a mistake in my original post: it is not Op. 32, it is no. 32, Op. 54 no. 3) is advanced when compared with the other Lyric Pieces, not when compared with the general piano repertory. In fact it is around (or slightly above) grade 8. I would guess. Now the ABRSM considers grades 1- 3 beginners grades, grade 4 - 6 intermediate grades and grades 7-8 advanced grades. Yet, grade 8 does not even begin to touch the easiest virtuoso pieces (whatever you want "virtuoso" to mean). Therefore we would probably have to start another fun thread to endlessly discuss the meaning of "advanced".

For a concert pianist like Emil Gilels, or Leif Ove Andnes who recorded several of the lyric pieces, March of the Trolls is probably a "beginner's piece" when compared with their other repertory.

However, the original post stated quite clearly that:

"I'm thinking of using Grieg's lyric pieces for intermediate level piano students, but iIm interested in pianists opinion about the level of difficulty, that is, which are the hardest, easiest etc and which have most teaching value.  the brooklet seems like it would be relatively difficult for beginners whereas the waltz in the beginning seems rather easy but I'm not certain for what grade students it would be suitable. "

Since my main aim was to provide some helpful input to Sel, and since I took "intermediate pianists" to mean someone who is around grade 4 - 5 ABRSM, I believe that classifying March of the Trolls as advanced was both helpful and accurate.

To such a student, the Waltz Op. 12 no.2 would be about right, Brooklet Op. 62 no. 4 would require a lot of work for an intermediate student and be just about impossible for a beginner, and March of the Trolls would definitely be advanced.

However, if you are already playing Slamey, Scarbo and the Prokofiev Toccata, then it's a different matter altogether.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[erak]

Did you type that huge reply just because I said that? :'D.
I just found it 'weird' that you said it was advanced because I can play it, and I'm not such an advanced pianist, lol. But yes, if you'd compare it to the other Lyrical Pieces it is quite hard, though I find Wedding Day harder.
Dwarfs/Trolls, all the same. Sounds better than Troldtog in my opinion.

[bernhard]

Since I will never catch up with Ed as far as the number of posts is concerned, I am trying to get the largest number of words per post.

[eddie92099]

Since I will never catch up with Ed as far as the number of posts is concerned, I am trying to get the largest number of words per post.

Best of luck  ,
Ed

[bernhard]

Thamks. Ed. I will make it my new year's resolution.

[erak]

;D, come on Bernhard, we all support you!

[dinosaurtales]

No mention of Op 19 #3 Carnival Scene.  Were would that one fall on the list, Bernhard?

[bernhard]

No mention of Op 19 #3 Carnival Scene.  Were would that one fall on the list, Bernhard?

Op. 19 is not part of the Lyric pieces (which the original query specified), Grieg named the three pieces in this set "Pictures from folk life".

All three of them are very difficult, well above grade 8 ABRSM. while the Lyric pieces are really "music for the home", very much like Mendelssohn's songs without words, these are concert pieces, mixing folk themes with piano virtuosity. The least demanding technically of the three is no. 2 (still difficult) - Bridal procession, one of Grieg's favorite pieces. He intended them to be playes as a set.

These pieces - in my opinion - are well beyond the original purpose of the query (i.e. - use in teaching intermediate students).

Best wishes,
Bernhard.

[dinosaurtales]

Oh crud. i just order the *complete* set of lyric pieces from Dover.  Are you thinking these won't be in the book?  Who publishes the Op 19 I wonder?

[bernhard]

Oh crud. i just order the *complete* set of lyric pieces from Dover.  Are you thinking these won't be in the book?  Who publishes the Op 19 I wonder?

I don't know the Dover edition, but - and I 'm just guessing here -  probably this volume of complete lyric pieces will not include the "Pictures from folk life".

Peters has published all of Grieg's solo piano works in a three volume set (Except for the sonata op. 7 and a few other pieces which are published separately).

Op. 19 no.1 / 2/ 3 are in volume two. I believe they are also published separately (by Peters), so you don't have to buy the whole volume.

Best wishes,
Bernhard.