Edvard Grieg
Slåtter
Op. 72

About Edvard Grieg's Slåtter

Slåtter (Norwegian Peasant Dances), op. 72, is a collection of folk dance tunes originally conceived for hardanger-fiddle, regarded as the national instrument of Norway at the time.

After being contacted by Knut Dale, a master fiddler in the tradition of "Myllarguten" (Torgier Augundsson) and Håvard Gibøen, Grieg decided to arrange for the preservation of these folkdance tunes, because he feared that otherwise they would be lost to future generations.

The tunes were notated by another fiddler, Johan Halvorsen, during an intense 2-week session with Dale. Grieg then adapted them for piano, adhering faithfully to the originals. He wrote:

"Those who have an appreciation for this sound, will be entranced by their great originality, their combination of light, airy, beautiful, enchanting refinements, and bold, audacious power and untamed melodic wildness, especially in the rhythm. They bear the Mark of a Fantasy that is both daring and bizarre, remnants from a time, when the Norwegian peasant culture was isolated from the outside world in the remote mountain valleys, thereby retaining their primitive origin."

"My task of transferring this to the piano was an attempt to lift these folk tunes up to an artistic level through stylized Harmonics. It is in the nature of the matter, that the piano must disclaim much of the appoggiatura, which is an original characteristic of the Hardanger fiddle, and the peculiarity of its bow strokes. On the other hand, the piano has the advantage of avoiding monotony, through dynamic, and rhythmic manifold, and varying the harmonics of the parts that repeat themselves. I have attempted in general to create a structured form, with clear, easy to perceive, lines."

Slåtter soon created quite a stir both in Norway and abroad. It seemed to many an important step not only in Grieg's development as a composer, but in the general evolution of piano music. The collection made quite an impression on the young Impressionist musicians of Paris, who referred to this music as "the new Grieg."

ID:248
Preview TitleKey Year Level
1. Giboen's Bridal March Op. 72 No. 1 in D Major by Grieg piano sheet music AAB 1. Giboen's Bridal March 7 D Major 1903 8+
2. John Vestafe's Springdans Op. 72 No. 2 in D Major by Grieg piano sheet music AAC 2. John Vestafe's Springdans 7 D Major 1903 8+
3. Bridal March from Telemark Op. 72 No. 3 in D Major by Grieg piano sheet music AAD 3. Bridal March from Telemark 7 D Major 1903 8
4. Halling from the Fairy Hill Op. 72 No. 4 in D Major by Grieg piano sheet music AAE 4. Halling from the Fairy Hill 7 D Major 1903 8
5. The Prillar from Os Parish Op. 72 No. 5 in D Major by Grieg piano sheet music AAF 5. The Prillar from Os Parish 7 D Major 1903 8
6. The Miller's Gangar Op. 72 No. 6 in D Major by Grieg piano sheet music AAG 6. The Miller's Gangar 7 D Major 1903 8+
7. Roetnams-Knut - Halling Op. 72 No. 7 in D Major by Grieg piano sheet music AAH 7. Roetnams-Knut - Halling 7 D Major 1903 8+
8. The Miller's Wedding March Op. 72 No. 8 in A Major by Grieg piano sheet music AAI 8. The Miller's Wedding March 29 A Major 1903 8+
9. Nils Rekve's Halling Op. 72 No. 9 in D Major by Grieg piano sheet music AAJ 9. Nils Rekve's Halling 7 D Major 1903 8
10. Knut Luraasen's Halling I Op. 72 No. 10 in G Major by Grieg piano sheet music AAK 10. Knut Luraasen's Halling I 23 G Major 1903 8+
11. Knut Luraasen's Halling II Op. 72 No. 11 in D Major by Grieg piano sheet music AAL 11. Knut Luraasen's Halling II 7 D Major 1903 8+
12. The Miller's Springdans Op. 72 No. 12 in D Major by Grieg piano sheet music AAM 12. The Miller's Springdans 7 D Major 1903 8
13. Haavard Giboen's Dream at the Oterholt Bridge. Springdans Op. 72 No. 13 in D Major by Grieg piano sheet music AAN 13. Haavard Giboen's Dream at the Oterholt Bridge. Springdans 7 D Major 1903 8
14. The Goblins' Bridal Procession at Vossevangen Op. 72 No. 14 in G Major by Grieg piano sheet music AAO 14. The Goblins' Bridal Procession at Vossevangen 23 G Major 1903 8
15. The Skuldal Bride Op. 72 No. 15 in D Major by Grieg piano sheet music AAP 15. The Skuldal Bride 7 D Major 1903 8
16. The Girls from Kivledal - Springdans Op. 72 No. 16 in F Major by Grieg piano sheet music AAQ 16. The Girls from Kivledal - Springdans 17 F Major 1903 8
17. The Girls from Kivledal - Gangar Op. 72 No. 17 in F Major by Grieg piano sheet music AAR 17. The Girls from Kivledal - Gangar 17 F Major 1903 8