Grieg: Lyric Pieces, Vol. 1

by Peter Donohoe

Overview

Pianist Peter Donohoe has been known mostly for recordings of 20th century English music, but he was astute in seeing an opening in the market for a cycle of Grieg's lyric pieces, especially one that ran counter to the somewhat sentimental type that has been generally available. This recording, the first volume in what will be a complete recording of Grieg's 66 lyric pieces, climbed onto best-seller charts in the summer of 2022. Donohoe, thankfully, will not plow through the lyric pieces sequentially, but chooses a variety that should make each volume listenable on its own. He offers some seemingly artless pieces that draw on Norwegian folk models, and there are a few hits mixed in, such as Bryllupsdag pa Troldhaugen (Wedding Day at Troldhaugen), but Donohoe is at pains to avoid depicting Grieg as a kind of naif, and this is all to the good. His clean, rather dry renditions work well in such pieces as Klokkeklang (Bell Ringing), Op. 54, No. 6, an elegantly Debussyan melding of form and content, and in the Kanon in B flat minor, Op. 38, No. 8. The pictorial aspects of a work like Erotikk, Op. 43, No. 5, can stand on their own. Those who have the traditional outlook on Grieg may find Donohoe a bit dispassionate, but many others will hear these pieces in a new way here, and look forward to future releases. Chandos' Potton Hall sound is a major plus. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	06/10/2022
Label:	Chandos
UPC:	0095115225424
Rank:	195988

Tracks

1. Klokkeklang, Op. 54 No. 6 in C major
2. Hemmelighet, Op. 57 No. 4 in G major
3. Albumblad, Op. 12 No. 7 in E minor
4. Vals, Op. 12 No. 2 in A minor
5. Bondens sang, Op. 65 No. 2 in A major
6. Gade, Op. 57 No. 2 in A major
7. Skogstillhet, Op. 71 No. 4 in B major
8. Til v¿¿ren, Op. 43 No. 6 in F sharp major
9. I hjemmet, Op. 43 No. 3 in F sharp major
10. Bekken, Op. 62 No. 4 in B minor
11. Alfedans, Op. 12 No. 4 in E minor
12. Tungsinn, Op. 65 No. 3 in B minor
13. Sm¿¿troll, Op. 71 No. 3 in E flat minor
14. Kanon, Op. 38 No. 8 in B flat minor
15. Sommeraften, Op. 71 No. 2 in D flat major
16. Albumblad, Op. 47 No. 2 in F major
17. Melankoli, Op. 47 No. 5 in G minor
18. Svunnedager, Op. 57 No. 1 in D minor
19. Melodi, Op. 38 No. 3 in C major
20. Scherzo, Op. 54 No. 5 in E minor
21. Norsk, Op. 12 No. 6 in D major
22. Gjetergutt, Op. 54 No. 1 in G minor
23. Bryllupsdag p¿¿ Troldhaugen, Op. 65 No. 6 in D major
24. Erotikk, Op. 43 No. 5 in F major
25. Notturno, Op. 54 No. 4 in C major
26. Valse m¿¿landolique, Op. 68 No. 6 in G minor
27. Halling, Op. 71 No. 5 in C major

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Peter Donohoe   Primary Artist,Piano

Technical Credits

Carl Anderson   Photography
Edvard Grieg   Composer
Mark Allan   Photography
Jonathan Cooper   Editing,Engineer,Recording Producer
Giancarlo Costa   Cover Photo
Finn S. Gundersen   Booklet Editor
Marianne Fernee   Liner Note Translation
Chris Christodoulou   Photography
Bettina Reinke-Welsh   Liner Note Translation
Eilif Peterssen   Portraits
Sue Shortridge   A&R
Cass Cassidy   Design,Typesetting
Andrew Giller   Piano Technician
Olivier Fleury   Photography
Erling Dahl   Liner Notes
Peter Donohoe   Liner Notes