Peer Gynt Suites 1 & 2

Grieg (Artist), Davis (Artist), Ormandy (Artist), Phl (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 19, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000028WY
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #501,405 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Peer Gynt Suite for orchestra (or piano or piano, 4 hands) No. 1, Op. 46: No. 1, Morning Mood

2. Peer Gynt Suite for orchestra (or piano or piano, 4 hands) No. 1, Op. 46: No. 2, The Death of Ase

3. Peer Gynt Suite for orchestra (or piano or piano, 4 hands) No. 1, Op. 46: No. 3, Anitra's Dance

4. Peer Gynt Suite for orchestra (or piano or piano, 4 hands) No. 1, Op. 46: No. 4, In the Hall of the Mountain King

5. Peer Gynt Suite for orchestra (or piano or piano, 4 hands) No. 2, Op. 55: The Abduction of the Bride

6. Peer Gynt Suite for orchestra (or piano or piano, 4 hands) No. 2, Op. 55: Arabian Dance

7. Peer Gynt Suite for orchestra (or piano or piano, 4 hands) No. 2, Op. 55: Solveig's Lullaby

8. Peer Gynt Suite for orchestra (or piano or piano, 4 hands) No. 2, Op. 55: Peer Gynt's Return Home

9. Peer Gynt Suite for orchestra (or piano or piano, 4 hands) No. 2, Op. 55: Solveig's Song

10. Norwegian Dance for piano, 4 hands (or solo piano) No. 2 in A major ('Allegretto tranquillo e grazioso'), Op. 35/2

11. Elegiac Melodies (2) for orchestra (or piano), Op. 34: No. 1, 'The wounded heart' (from Op. 33/3)

12. Elegiac Melodies (2) for orchestra (or piano), Op. 34: No. 2, 'Last Spring' (from Op. 33/2)

13. Lyric Suite for orchestra (orchestration of Op. 54): No. 3, Norwegian March

14. Lyric Suite for orchestra (orchestration of Op. 54): No. 4, Notturno

15. Sigurd Jorsalfar, suite for orchestra (or piano or piano, 4 hands), Op. 56: No. 3, Homage March

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GIGANTIC, November 6, 2001

By 

KH "[e-mail]" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Peer Gynt Suites 1 & 2 (Audio CD)

Edvard Grieg, recognized for his luscious Nordic musical soundscapes and devotion to Scandinavian folk-myth, rarely seems to receive much recognition anymore. Grieg’s music, which last saw real popularity during the earlier part of this last century, is now often heard as a backdrop for television commercials or tacky ice skating competitions. Is it the relaxing, playful nature of Grieg’s melodies, or the lilting, mischievous rhythm of his Suites that lend themselves to consumerism? Perhaps both, but more likely is that listeners of Grieg cannot seem to help but “visualize” his work. It’s easy to imagine icy fjords, coy Germanic maidens, idyllic mountain fields ablaze with edelweiss or even friendly (if clumsy) Teutonic giants while listening to “Peer Gynt” or “Norwegian Dance”. Grieg’s music is at once soothing, reminiscent, healthy and most importantly, strikingly visual. Herein perhaps lies the real attraction to Grieg's work by so many ad agencies!

That Grieg’s work has been relegated to simple entertainment or 30-second selling points is unfair. Not only is Grieg’s work immensely difficult to perform because of the constantly shifting, ethereal musical sequences, but it is important as a cultural benchmark as well. Grieg gave a modern musical voice to the myth and folklore that helped define Northern Europe.

‘Sony Classical’ has picked two fine, noteworthy conductors for their realization of Grieg’s work. Both Andrew Davis (Peer Gynt) and Eugene Ormandy (Norwegian Dance. Elegiac Melodies, March) perform Grieg’s work with all the subtlety and delicacy that you would expect. Soprano Elisabeth Soderstrom does a breathtaking job in the Peer Gynt Suites as well.

For aficionados of Grieg’s work, this Sony collection will surely deliver. For new listeners wishing to experience Grieg for the first time, look no further.