Grieg concerto in A minor.

[zheer]

   I've recently been learning this concerto, I tried playing it years ago but I couldn't but some-how I've managed to learn all three MVT of this piece. Anyone else learning this piece, if so what did you find most demanding. Since I have played through other concertos by sight, I am puzzled as to why the Grieg has this reputation of being a easy concerto, it's really not. When I have time I will record it.

[thalbergmad]

Yes, it does seem to have a reputation as an "easy" concerto, or at least it does on here.

I think the world "easier" would be more applicable, if used in comparing it with a lot of other contemporary romantic concerti.

I have not played through it for years and have no great desire to do it again, when there are so many others that i feel are its superior.

If memory serves, it was parts of the last movement that gave me trouble.

Thal

[zheer]

If memory serves, it was parts of the last movement that gave me trouble.

Thal

  True, the last MVT is the most challenging, but it does repeat it self.

[general disarray]

    I am puzzled as to why the Grieg has this reputation of being a easy concerto, it's really not. When I have time I will record it.

Agreed.  When I learned it a few years ago, my teacher smiled at my struggles with the last movement and said, "It's really a sonuvabitch, isn't it?"

I suppose its popularity overshadows its very real technical challenges.

Good luck with it, zheer.  If you play it with fire, your audience will spontaneously scream, swoon and get naked.  Worth all that effort!   

[zheer]

I suppose its popularity overshadows its very real technical challenges.

Good luck with it, zheer.  If you play it with fire, your audience will spontaneously scream, swoon and get naked.  Worth all that effort!   

  Exactly it is technically challenging, at the moment I'm just getting familiar with it *musically* eventually i've got to get it right technically. If I were to play this it will probably be for an examination, or a piano competition, which makes this piece even more demanding, me think anyway. 

[arensky]

I think the world "easier" would be more applicable, if used in comparing it with a lot of other contemporary romantic concerti.

I agree completely with this, Grieg's Concerto is certainly not as difficult as those of Chopin, Liszt, Henselt and even Mendelssohn (particularly the d minor). But it's still a demanding work, and should not be underestimated.

I think that part of what makes the Grieg Concerto more accsesible than other romantic concerti is the clear cut and straightforward writing; it's not overly complex harmonically or structurally and the themes are straightforward and easily assimilated, whether one has heard them ten thousand times or not. Schumann's Concerto is technically no more difficult than than Grieg's but it's themes and ideas are not as straightforward and are presented in a more obtuse and cryptic manner and this makes the Schumann more challenging. Apart from being overplayed, it seems to me that the Grieg Concerto's only fault might be in being too well written, making it almost too easy to learn and listen to, giving it the appearance of being facile when it's merely very well composed and conceived.

[communist]

When Liszt first met Grieg he sight read it 

[bernhard]

When Liszt first met Grieg he sight read it 

Liszt also added all sorts of ripples, octaves and sound effects, improvising as he sight-read it.

Grieg was not amused.

BW
Bernhard

[mikey6]

I'm learning it at the moment.
It's one of those over played works that never get's played - It's on all the competition repertoires so they jury obviously values it highly enough yet know one plays it!
I was talking about this last night actually, it's not an easy piece and tehre is a lot you can do with it.  Who cares if it has text book structure, it's an effective/melodious work and deserves it popularity when it's played well (not hackneyed by school kids who think, oh it's just the Grieg, it's easy - like everything I guess).

[thalbergmad]

Grieg was not amused.

Well, at least he stayed awake.

Thal

[zheer]

I'm learning it at the moment.
It's one of those over played works that never get's played - It's on all the competition repertoires so they jury obviously values it highly enough yet know one plays it!
I was talking about this last night actually, it's not an easy piece and tehre is a lot you can do with it.  Who cares if it has text book structure, it's an effective/melodious work and deserves it popularity when it's played well (not hackneyed by school kids who think, oh it's just the Grieg, it's easy - like everything I guess).

    Is it though that over played, I find that this concerto can be played as a solo piece, as in without a second piano.

[franzliszt2]

I think the Grieg is very difficult! It is really tricky in some places, like the last movement, and some bits in the 1st movement. The opening is very hard to play in public...I warn people now who thought like I did. I had played th opening for years, and never thought anything of it....until I was on the stage....then it went wrong! It's not really that hard, but it is the sort of thing people can bash out at home, and screw up on the stage.

I think it is quite easy to learn, I learnt the notes pretty quickly, and had fun doing so...however playing t a performance level is quite tricky.

Gilels said "It has to many white notes". I think that is true, and that makes it difficult

[pianist7]

I'm playing it now. The 5-3 rhythm in the 1stM is difficult. My favorite mvmt, though, is probably the third.

[antichrist]

Yea third movment is just beautiful and fun
Holy liszt could sight read it perfectly

btw,old post is so exciting?

[imbetter]

I saw in a documentary about Glenn Gould and apparently he sight read the piece as well and played the orchestral tuttis when he could and then when he got to the end he said simply "it's not for me".