Nordic Roots:
12th May 2021
George Cherry Pianist
George is an Award-winning composer, and Piano Scholar at the University of St Andrews. Growing up in Stratford-Upon-Avon, she was a key component to the musical community as principle trumpet and pianist for various ensembles, and touring internationally. She has now turned her focus towards finding the “hidden gems” of lesser-known works.
Anyone that dabbles in classical music will undoubtedly have heard of the Norwegian composer, Edvard Grieg. His pieces are revered for their unique sound connecting the German-dominated classical world, with the lyrical folk melodies of the North. This programme aims to spotlight the two Danish composers responsible for helping him cultivate that sound. The composite sonata, especially, aims to highlight the permanent impressions left on Grieg from meeting Gade and Hartmann in Copenhagen.
J.P.E Hartmann Klaverstykker no. 2 Dream of the Viking Wife (1864)
Hartmann was the pioneer of Danish National Romanticism, with strong ties to Danish literature. Klaverstykker No. 2 uses an extract from H.C. Andersen’s fairytale “The Marsh King’s Daughter”:
“The Gjallerhorn sounded, and the gods rode forth over the rainbow, arrayed in steel, to take part in the last contest. Before them flew the winged warrior-maidens, and behind them in array marched the forms of dead warriors. The whole sky was illuminated by the northern lights, but the darkness again prevailed.”
Hartmann takes us on a musical journey through this setting. The piece begins with war-horn calls and thunderous hooves riding into battle. We hear the clashes of swords before escaping to the soft sounds of the northern lights in the middle section. The openness and space, and harp-like ripples emulate well-known Danish folktunes, creating a “heavenly” atmosphere. Hartmann jolts us back into battle with an unexpected harmonic shift, and we hear the struggle for power between the light and dark sides. True to the poem, the darkness prevails, ending in a dramatic flourish down the piano before an elegant E minor ripple.
Niels Gade Piano Sonata in E minor, op. 28 (1840)
1. Allegro con fuoco
2. Andante
Niels Gade, is responsible for Denmark’s international contribution to Romantic music. His only piano sonata, written in 1840 and revised in 1854, reflects the conservative writing style popular in Leipzig, where he conducted for many years.
Both of these movements have an unwavering sense of momentum. The melodies are long and lyrical, and wind through varying moods and harmonies. The first movement, Allegro con fuoco imitates a medieval Danish folkvise; epic stanzas followed by lyrical refrains. The second movement, Andante, sings out a beautiful lullaby, enclosing a jig-like middle section. Throughout both movements we can hear the gentle hum of drones, glimpses of folk modes, and Danish spirit, grounding the music firmly and proudly in Denmark origins.
Edvard Grieg Piano Sonata in E minor, op. 7 (1865)
3. Alla Menuetto, ma poco piu lento
4. Finale : Molto
One of the rare larger-form works Grieg wrote, this piano sonata was written after two years of working with the Danish pair in Copenhagen. Dedicated to Gade, it could be seen as a musical response to his sonata through the number of stark similarities between the two.
The calm of Gade’s second movement gives way to the slow creeping of Grieg’s third movement, Alla Menuetto. The lilting left hand rhythm imitates a slow minuet dance, and drives us towards the first furious climax. There is a freedom in the melody, with its dotted rhythms emphasising the second beat of the bar. The middle section is characteristically Norwegian, based on a short and simple melody, and accompanied by open 5th drones, similar to the sound of the traditional Hardanger fiddle. In a ghost-like return to the original theme, the movement builds into a final Beethoven-like fury.
His finale begins with a majestic orchestral-like introduction. The jovial 6/8 melody dances up and down lightly over dramatic accompaniment. Grieg cleverly references each of his previous movements within this piece. The second theme plays, adds much-needed contemplative moments interjected by playful bursts of the first theme. Grieg demands skilled command of the piano with virtuosic runs, expressive dynamics and quick repetitions of notes. He ends with a majestic Wagnerian closing statement fit for a full orchestra.
Edvard Grieg Notturno, Op. 54 no. 4 from Lyric Pieces Book V (1889-1891)
A fitting close to a programme full of drama, Notturno encompasses the very essence of a Norwegian night. Written as part of his lyric series, expressing the most distinctive Norwegian sounds from his youth, Grieg manifests complete stillness, with a meandering melody above a soft lilting drone. We hear the sounds of the Nightingale, native to Norway, signalling the even softer middle section. We are immersed in the magical folk-sound of Nordic tonality as the music drops even softer, before surging to a whirling ball of sound. Bars of silence allow this sound to dissipate and settle for the return of the original peaceful wandering journey. The piece ends on a blissful slow ripple up the piano held until the sound dies away to silence.