Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Adult Beginners Forum Grieg recital: Proposal.....

Mr Pozor, there are several Grieg pieces you could play!!!
(Ok, but it is true that for this recital they are already taken!)...
However, if you wanted to try something the OP.12 N.2 Waltz , Op12 N3, Watchman's Song, Op 54, N6 Bell Ringing, OP 65 N5, In Ballad Style (this is perhaps a bit harder, but it is slow, and I think you could do it) and then Op 68 N1 Sailor's Song.

Somewhere not too far into this thread there is a link with the levels of the pieces - I just went through the book looking for ones I thought you might be comfortable with. Why not try one as your summer project - maybe play it at the next ABF recital?

Hi casinitaly,

Thanks for the suggestions. I will definitely look into Grieg for one of my pieces to learn this year. At the moment I still have quite a lot to do with learning a new Bach piece, perfecting and recording the Schubert Waltz and the Matrix theme I played at EPP, and learning a rock song (Muse - Feeling Good) which takes a lot of finger strength.

Yes, you do have a lot on the go! I liked that Matrix theme .. though I confess I couldn't remember what it was called!

Grieg will be there waiting when you are ready!

The Henle publishers website has difficulty (or ease ) ratings for pieces that they publish. This link is to the U.S. site. Here is the Grieg Complete Lyric Pieces.

Here is the link for the Henle international site. Not sure if there's any difference between them, except possibly differences in shipping rates for ordering?

Fingering question: Op. 65 No. 3, Tungsind (Melancholy) (No. 50 in the linked score). Second page, third staff, first measure, RH. I find the given fingering to be strange. (I'm working from a real purchased copy of this, but it has the same fingerings.)

I find it strange to jump from 2 on A to 12 on DF. I also find it strange to start the pattern with 23, 5 on DF, B and then switch to 12, 4 on the same two notes DF, B.

I've been using 1 A, 23 DF, 5 B all the way up. That gives me consistent fingering on all three repeats of the A, DF, B pattern, and also means I'm never jumping: from 5B to 1A is just a contraction, not a jump.

Is mine a reasonable fingering? Should I really be using the given fingering (or at least exploring it more) (are there advantages to it that I haven't discerned yet)? Is there some other fingering that you would suggest?

The pattern appears twice more in similar fashion later on the same page, at the end of the fourth staff and the beginning of the fifth staff. I would like to use the same fingering for all three passages.

The A's in M19 are to be played in LH, methinks! Same with M24 & M25.

You're RH fingering is then 1, 23, 5, 12, 4, 12, 4.

I may be totally wrong, but I think that the sixteenth notes in the upper staff with the beams that are down are meant to be played with the left hand - those are the notes marked with finger 2. So you play that tied half note B in the left hand, then lift your hand and use the second finger of the left hand to insert those 16th notes.

Anyway, that's my guess...

edit: I see Richard beat me to that answer!

Sam

The fingering in the Grieg is nothing to crow about. Go by what works.

Oho! Richard and Sam, thank you. I had been wondering about the down stems on the As: a second important voice to bring out, I puzzled? Using the LH explains both the down stems, and the 2s being written underneath the As.

This will be a fun new coordination and timing exercise for me.

Interesting to note that one has to deduce, from the fingering 4 being written above it, that the final B, despite its downstem, should be played with the RH. But in the first measure of the last staff, the engraver forgets what he did the previous two times, and sets the final C# with an upstem, which makes the hand clearer, but is more awkward on the page.

If fingering has been provided, I prefer to use it as a starting point to find out if there is anything helpful for me in it. Often the fingering provided (in any piece, not just here) has good solutions that I wouldn't have thought of on my own. I have no problem substituting my own fingering if needed. But this is a case where what I came up with also felt somewhat awkward. And as Richard and Sam have pointed out, there is something to be learned from this fingering, which I had misunderstood. Now I can try it out as it is meant to be played, and determine if that works for me or if I want to modify it in yet another direction.

I have found my specs - things are so much easier now! After this post, you may be glad to hear I won't clog up this thread with as many long lists of the pieces already taken.

Thanks for your selections Carey, PianoStudent88 and Farmgirl. They help us inch ever closer to completing the set. Our best chance, I think, is if we can get the remaining 7 chosen before folk start their summer holidays, when they may forget all about this for a while.

Mr Pozor, I'm glad that you've been enjoying following this thread, even though you don't feel able to take part at the moment. It would be great if in future there is another recital like this, so you could join in.


UNTAKEN (7):

OPUS 38
No 5 : Spring Dance
No 8 : Canon

OPUS 54
No 5 : Scherzo

OPUS 62
No 3 : French Serenade
No 6 : Homeward

OPUS 65
No 4 : Salon

OPUS 68
No 6 : Melancholy Waltz


The list of allocated pieces is:

TAKEN (59)

OPUS 12
No 1: Arietta (AimeeO)
No 2: Waltz (Saranoya)
No 3: Watchman's Song (Casinitaly)
No 4: Elve's Dance (LadyChen)
No 5: Popular Melody (AndyPlatt)
No 6: Norwegian Melody (Piano Dad)
No 7: Album Leaf (Saranoya)
No 8: National Song (AZ Astro)

OPUS 38
No 1: Berceuse (zrtf90)
No 2: Popular Melody (Wayne33yrs)
No 3: Melody (SwissMS)
No 4: Halling (Piano Dad)
No 6: Elegy (Recaredo)
No 7: Waltz (Dipsy)

OPUS 43
No 1: Butterfly (Beric)
No 2: Solitary Traveller (Wisebuff)
No 3: In My Native Country (Allard)
No 4: Little Bird (RagnHild)
No 5: Erotik (Peterws)
No 6: To the Spring (Carey)

OPUS 47
No I: Valse Impromptu (Swissms)
No 2: Album Leaf (Ganddalf)
No 3: Melody (Dipsy)
No 4: Halling (Carlos88)
No 5: Melancholy (Stumbler)
No 6: Spring Dance (Peterws)
No 7: Elegy (PianoStudent88)

OPUS 54
No 1: Shepherd's Boy (Beric)
No 2: Norwegian March (zrtf90)
No 3: March of the Trolls (Rostosky)
No 4: Notturno (Dipsy)
No 6: Bell Ringing (Sinophilia)

OPUS 57
No 1: Vanished Days (dire tonic)
No 2: Gade (Sam S)
No 3: Illusion (PianoStudent88)
No 4: Secret (Beric)
No 5: She Dances (Dire Tonic)
No 6: Home Sickness (RagnHild)

OPUS 62
No 1: Sylph (niluh01)
No 2: Gratitude (Sam S)
No 4: Brooklet (niluh01)
No 5: Phantom (Pavel.K)

OPUS 65
No 1: From Early Years (Morodiene)
No 2: Peasant's Song (Wisebuff)
No 3: Melancholy (PianoStudent88)
No 5: Ballad (Rupak Bhattacharya)
No 6: Wedding Day at Troldhauen (Ganddalf)

OPUS 68
No 1: Sailor's Song (ElleC)
No 2: Grandmother's minuet (yester)
No 3: At Your Feet (dire tonic)
No 4: Evening in the mountains (Limefriday)
No 5: Cradle Song (Carey)

OPUS 71
No 1: Once upon a time (AnneH)
No 2: Summer Evening (Farmgirl)
No 3: Puck (Farmgirl)
No 4: Peace of the Woods (Valencia)
No 5: Halling (Morodiene)
No 6: Gone (Keystring)
No 7: Remembrances (dynamobt)

A while ago I said I'd try to post youtube clips of the remaining 7 pieces, to help people decide whether they might like to select one. and next to each one I've stated the 'Henle level of difficulty' (though as a Brit I'm not quite sure how these levels equate to ABRSM levels, etc) but it gives some indication - thanks for posting the link for this PianoStudent88!

Here they are:

OPUS 38:5 (Spring Dance)
Medium level 4-5




OPUS 38:8 (Canon)
Medium level 4-5



OPUS 54:5 (Scherzo)
Medium level 5-6



OPUS 62:3 (French Serenade)
Medium level 5



OPUS 62:6 (Homeward)
Difficult 6-7



OPUS 65:4 (Salon)
Medium level 5



OPUS 68:6 (Melancholy Waltz)
Medium level 6
[/u][u][/u][u]

I may regret this. But, I will sign up for the Op 38 no 8 Canon

My recording of Remembrances is already done and submitted. I just hope I can talk my teacher into helping me with this!!!

That's great dynamobt!

Its good that your 'Remembrances' is already done and dusted - leaving the way clear for the Canon.

I'll update the list soon - just off to bed for now.

Thanks for posting those Dipsy! I had a look and listen, but they are well beyond my abilities at the moment.

Well, "listening" to Richter was one thing. Just sat down to play Canon. This is really going to stretch me!! 5 flats!!!! It's for certain now. I really am out of my mind!!!

I have my piece recorded... but it's really slow, I need to speed it up at least a little bit. Also, MIDI recording seems to enhance my dynamics problems - while working on this I'm finding that I have a really hard time maintaining a consistent volume throughout. I'm not too bad at the ppp parts, but there are random loud notes here and there.

I'll spend some more time on this, although I must say I'm getting a bit sick of it

It sounds like you've made good progress - why not put it aside for a week or so and relax with something else, then tackle when you feel fresher --- and not so sick of it!

ONLY SIX LEFT! (see my post above for the list - but please note that Canon is now taken). For my part, I can only think of one more person who may be interested in doing one or more pieces- a friend in Swansea I play duets with. Trouble is, even if she wants to take part, I doubt if she would like to do all 6 pieces!

As Rossy appears to be taking time out at present, if any of you have already sent him your recording(s) please send me a copy as well. I would hate any of your recordings to get 'lost'.

Everyone who has said they will take part will be contacted soon and asked if they are still doing the pieces you said you would. As there are about 47 people taking part, it would be really helpful if one person per opus contacted the other people in their opus to do this, and then passed on the information to me. Would any of you be happy to do this? It would save me contacting 47 people!

Ganddalf/RagnHild(?), are you still able to prepare something at the beginning of each opus about Grieg/the Lyric Pieces to give us all some background information?

I thought it would be a good idea if the recital was presented in the same way as the Mendelssohn. That means an opus each day for 10 days.
Each opus would hopefully start with a little background information, followed by each piece in order, together with any personal statement* submitted. Hopefully that's ok with folks, but if you can suggest any improvements, ideas would be welcome!

*Everyone is encouraged to write something short about their preparation of the piece/the process they went through/thoughts about it - but this is not essential.

I will contact the folks working on Op 12.