Grieg’s Piano Concerto & Norwegian Influence

At the age of 25, Edvard Grieg was a determined composer and a quick study. He had followed the standard route—traveled to Leipzig, studied with the greats and learned the craft. Yet even after mastering standard conventions, he was committed to letting his country’s fingerprints command his style. It is this uniqueness that established him as the Norse God of composers. There is no better example of this fusion of concert convention and country song than in his only piano concerto. Each movement is a jewel, but let us explore the influence of folk songs on the last movement.

To understand its musical origin, here is a Norwegian dance known as a Halling dance, played in a folk style on the Hardanger fiddle (violin).

The “trembling” melody that intermittently switches between quick and long notes acutely influences Grieg’s thematic structures. It always promises an unexpected beginning, direction and ending of the melody. Listen to how Grieg treats a Norwegian folk song accompaniment in his Op. 66 collection. You’ll hear later how much it resembles the third and final movement of his piano concerto:

After the quirky 10-second introduction, the rhythmic left hand sets a folk mood in motion. After another 10 seconds, the mode and tempo shift—from minor to major, and faster to slower, respectively. This pattern itself later on, with one more tempo change and ending on an unexpected chord.

The tempo and structure of the last movement of Grieg’s Piano Concerto is consistent, creating succinct tune. However, you can hear treatments to the music that resemble the above clips, like it’s a folk dance.

Listen for:

• The quirky short introduction
• The rhythmic left hand pattern
• The “trembling” melody with its quick notes which serve as refined dissonances, creating more beauty
• The subtle modal shift, from minor to quasi-major (major occurring at 0:23)

Grieg was strict about his role as the composer and was very deliberate about each note he wrote. He did not sample Scandinavian folk tunes or dances, but rather captured their style in his young, passionate, yet maturely refined themes. His originality allowed him to create his local personality within beautiful harmonies and orchestrations.

Hear Grieg’s masterwork and its Norwegian influences as pianist Juho Pohjonen and the NJSO perform this piece Oct 31–Nov 3.

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Post by Michael Rosin