Prelude

Description

Ludwig Holberg was regarded in his country as the father of Danish literature. Upon the bicentennial celebration of his birth, Grieg paid him tribute by writing a classical suite utilizing the dance forms of the seventeenth century. But though the forms belong to the past, Grieg’s melodic and harmonic style is still Romantic. The suite, then, is a happy fusion of the old and the then new, and may well be said to anticipate the later neo-classical trend. Grieg originally wrote this music for piano in 1884, but in 1886, he transcribed it for orchestra. The Prelude offers a strong melody with a restless rhythm. Three graceful seventeenth-century dances are presented in nineteenth-century dress, a Sarabande, Gavotte, and Rigaudon. Between the Sarabande and Gavotte, Grieg introduces an air, a poignant melody in the style of a Norwegian folk song.

Published by: Wynn Music Publishers