Grieg in Bergen

[furtwaengler]

Grieg is from Bergen; that would be the place to play Grieg. 

This was sometime in June. I was not supposed to play this on this little tour, but a soprano who was doing a set fell ill and chose this Grieg to fit the slot. I bought it at the Troldhaugen earlier that day - it's a happy story!

A DVD of this concert was given to my last night, so I extracted the audio.

It is in Bergen Cathedral, and the piano is an upright. There is something I love about this whole occasion.

Two transcriptions: Solveig's Song and A Mother's Grief.

[m1469]

Thank you, Dave.  Some nice morning inspiration for me before I settle in to my studies.  These are beautiful little pieces and I think they fit you very well.  You seem to enjoy Grieg .

[pianowolfi]

How wonderful that you could play these pieces in Grieg's Hometown!

Our last theater play at school, when I was 18, was "Peer Gynt" and Solveigh's song was also part of it, and Anitra's dance and "In the hall of the mountain king". I had to play four different roles and it was a lot of fun!   And I always played Ase's death, but only for myself, not in the play.
I never forget that special atmosphere.

I think you have been inspired a lot by that environment, it all comes naturally to you.
Precious moments of music and life

[rachfan]

Hi Dave,

Wonderful playing! And in Bergen no less!  I really enjoyed listening.

Earlier in your tour you had shared some recordings here, and commented on the pianos always being a question mark, and your finding some in pretty tough shape.  But I must say, this piano in Bergen, although an upright, had a beautiful tone, and it was in tune too!  So you had a good day--not only was your playing marvelous, but the piano cooperated too. 

David

[furtwaengler]

Hi Dave,

Wonderful playing! And in Bergen no less!  I really enjoyed listening.

Earlier in your tour you had shared some recordings here, and commented on the pianos always being a question mark, and your finding some in pretty tough shape.  But I must say, this piano in Bergen, although an upright, had a beautiful tone, and it was in tune too!  So you had a good day--not only was your playing marvelous, but the piano cooperated too. 

David

Yes, Music for Seniors sends me around to different independent living, assisted living, and health centers to play classical music, which I enjoy immensely...but you never know what you are going to get as far as an instrument. (It's like a box of chocolates). 

But this was a different sort of tour...I mean we were actually touring and tourists (mostly tourists). It was a community choir and a community orchestra getting out of the community for 10 days. We had a concerts in Copenhagen, Oslo, and Bergen. I was brought along to fill out the orchestra in the Brahms Requiem, with 35 people total. Originally it looked like there would be no pianos, and an electronic keyboard was included with the rental - broken at that, but we never had to use it. I smile when I think about it because it was a very fun trip and great people to travel with...but I'm also conscious we had all the elements to make a good musicologist cringe!

How wonderful that you could play these pieces in Grieg's Hometown!

Our last theater play at school, when I was 18, was "Peer Gynt" and Solveigh's song was also part of it, and Anitra's dance and "In the hall of the mountain king". I had to play four different roles and it was a lot of fun!   And I always played Ase's death, but only for myself, not in the play.
I never forget that special atmosphere.

I think you have been inspired a lot by that environment, it all comes naturally to you.
Precious moments of music and life

Peer Gynt was a part of my childhood, some of the first music I recall listening to on a "Best of Grieg" album my mother had. Then Arthur Rubinstein became my first musical hero with an RCA CD of the Grieg Piano Concerto and individual solo works. Even still, I have not played much of his music, and I should. The bass soloist for the Brahms (now, the soloists really were impeccable if not anything else!) told me he gained a lot of respect for Grieg just from those two little transcriptions!

Thank you, Dave.  Some nice morning inspiration for me before I settle in to my studies.  These are beautiful little pieces and I think they fit you very well.  You seem to enjoy Grieg .

Thanks very much. I do enjoy Grieg,   

[starstruck5]

The acoustics in the Cathedral are just magnificent -thanks for sharing these pieces -I enjoyed them very much -

[furtwaengler]

I agree, the acoustics were wonderful, and also very helpful to the performance. I'm glad you enjoyed them!

[emill]

NICE!!  ... really nice...
and the recording captured the piano and environment very well!!
( with some well timed coughing here and there) 

[furtwaengler]

NICE!!  ... really nice...
and the recording captured the piano and environment very well!!
( with some well timed coughing here and there) 

Thanks! I wonder, does Enzo hear coughing while he's playing? I never do, and then suddenly there it is on the recording. It reminds me of a time I was playing with a Trumpet player in the finals of a concerto competition. The performance was in an open air structure, and we got hit with a storm. Suddenly, during the last movement of the Hummel Trumpet Concerto lightning struck the building and a light bulb went POP! with sparks flying over my head...I don't know that I have even been so scared - I didn't know if I was alive or dead, if it was a terrorist attack, or what was going on, and somehow my fingers kept moving. Afterwards with my feet back on the ground I asked the trumpet player (who one the competition incidentally) who he managed to keep playing through that...and he said..."Through what?" Haha, he was so focuses on his playing he did not even notice lighting hit the open air structure we were in! 

[emill]

Hi Dave,

Maybe the initial purpose of such focus to the point of isolating oneself from his surroundings is to get rid of the "nerves" and the anxiety of performing before an audience. This is perhaps what many do during the early part of their "careers" as musicians and which becomes second nature in their later years.

Enzo has almost perfected this and does not hear disturbances during a performance. The only trouble is he becomes "reckless" and introduces "variations" that he never does during practice which he himself is surprised when later reviewing the video.  We know the Enzo during practice is different from Enzo the performer!! ....  I really do not know if it is good??

stephen