Katherine Mao

Listening guide: Grieg Lyric Pieces

Selections from the suite: Notturno (Nocturne), Trolltog (March

of the Trolls)

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) was a ______________ _____________

composer who established and popularized the Norwegian musical
style and helped develop a national identity. His use of Norwegian
folksong and folklore is extensive, and he paints pictures of
Norwegian rural life and nature through his music (as shown in his
collection, Lyric Pieces).

Lyric Pieces (Lyriske stykker) is a collection of a total of _____ short pieces for the
__________. It is published in ___ volumes (Op. 12, 38, 43, 47, 54, 57, 62, 65, 68, and
71), each has a theme or setting. The entire collection was written from 1867 to
1901. Some consider this collection to be a complete representation or summary of
Griegs music and style: rich and colourful harmonies, flexible structure, and tasteful
uses of ornamentation, ultimately creating masterful works showcasing exquisite
expression.

Notturno (Nocturne) Op. 54, no.4

9
8 time, Andante, C major, approx. 4:00, ABA, 1891
It has Romantic elements as well as foreshadows the Impressionistic movement.
Ravel has said that Grieg was one of his biggest influences. This piece was written
in the summer of 1891 during his annual retreat to northern Norway in the
mountains. This piece paints a picture of the ___________ ________________
_____________ with ice capped mountains, dark forests, swift rivers, and serene lakes
at night.

The piece opens up with a warm C. There is a ________________ _______________ line

and ________________ ___________ accompaniment in the left hand. A higher register
entry of the right hand appears, almost like interrupting the serenity of the night.
This is repeated, setting up the picture of the silence of the night.
Katherine Mao

Then the melody comes in ___________ on top of _________ in the

left hand (notice the odd time signature). This is a repeated idea
throughout the piece, as well
as in other works of Grieg.
Then a ___________ is heard in
the right hand _________. This leads into the
second section in 6/8 time with more motion (piu mosso). The left hand arpeggios
give a flowy, __________-like character. That in addition to the ________ chords give it
the ________________ feel as mentioned earlier. There is a dramatic crescendo from
pianississimo to fortissimo and the A section returns with ____________ and a change
in rhythm in the second phrase.
The ending features the bird call again and ends with a slow, broken C major chord.

Trolltog (March of the Trolls) Op. 54, no. 3

2
4 time, Allegro moderato, D minor - D major - D minor, approx. 3:00, ABA, 1891
Trolls are supernatural beings that come from Scandinavian folklore. Since trolls are
a large part of Scandinavian/Norwegian culture (folklore), Grieg used them
extensively in his work (also featured in his popular orchestral works In the Hall of
the Mountain King and Peer Gynt). Trolls are depicted as irritable, savaged, dumb,
grotesque looking creatures that resemble humans. There is often a negative
connotation associated with them, as they are seen as malicious.
(A section only)
In this piece, Grieg creates a mysterious and elusive character, much like the
trolls themselves, using _____________, crisp ________, and
_______________________(that sound like grace notes but are strictly in time). The
pattern in the left hand creates the ________________ like rhythmic drive to the piece.
The ___________ _____________ melody that moves on the __________ and the ________
_________ creates a dark and almost ominous mood.
Notice the chromatic chords in bars 22-29. This is one example of Griegs use
of complex harmonies. From bar 26 the bass note descends chromatically to the
tonic, and the opening theme is repeated fortissimo with octaves and fuller chords.
There is an accented descending line in the left hand. The B section offers a calm,
slow, and brilliant sounding contrast and the A section is repeated at the end.