Search - Edvard Grieg, Daniel Adni :: Grieg: Lyric Pieces

Very Well Played Musical Moments

David J. Friedlander | Columbus, Ohio United States | 02/05/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Grieg's Lyric Pieces aren't intended to be long or involved undertakings. They are like "musical moments" similar to Schubert's, Chopin's and Rachmaninov's short pieces. They have an almost improvisitory feel and each one has a short title that is descriptive. So in that sense this could be thought of as "program music" for solo piano. Program music is a late 19th century idea of music describing some aspect of nature or experience.



The Lyric Pieces are arranged in 10 books and each book has an opus number. The first set is titled Book I, Op. 12 and the last set is Book X, Op. 71. While many of the pieces are in simple binary form, some are more like a single idea, expounded upon with a melody over chords, more often then not in root position. Grieg is free with his harmonies though, and some of the later ones have dissonances that remind me of some of the chordal extensions found in jazz and popular music of the 30's, 40's and 50's in the twentieth century.



Adni's playing is direct in expression and his tone his rich and full. The recording is faultless with a clear and full image. Dymanic range is unlimited and the overall experience is a welcoming one. Someone who is intimidated by classical music will find this music a lot more accessible, more easily understood and satisfying to someone who doesn't have a huge musical background. Yet that doesn't mean the well initiated won't find much pleasure in this music. Grieg's melodic sense is very natural and it is pleasing and rarely jarring or odd. There are some dissonances though in the music, but Grieg doesn't dwell on them for long. He will float one in the air and either quickly resolve it, or let it fall gently to the carpet without allowing any damage to the listener's equinamity.



I would recommend this recording to anyone who likes piano music that is more on the simple side, but poetic in nature. This is great music for sitting alone, or to write a letter to, or to just cuddle up with your lover or best animal friend. It is perfect for quiet evenings or snowy afternoons because after all, Grieg lived in the frozen north and the cool shades are the ones found most commonly in his musical palatte."