Lyric Pieces, Book VIII

Grieg completed Book VIII of his Lyric Pieces in the summer of 1896, an extremely productive period in which he also began work on the Symphonic Dances, his most ambitious orchestral composition. The set of six pieces is of a uniformly high quality, notable for its inventive use of harmony and brilliantly idiomatic piano writing. “Fra Ungdomsdagene” (“From Years of Youth”) juxtaposes two different styles of writing—a waltz-like idea, strongly reminiscent of Chopin, framing an upbeat middle section whose drone bass and sprightly rhythms emulate the distinctive features of Norwegian folk music. The touching simplicity of “Bondens Sang” (“Peasant’s Song”) and “I Balladetone” (“Ballad”) form a contrast to the melodramatic musical gestures in “Tungsind” (“Melancholy”). But the finest and most popular piece in this set is undoubtedly the exhilarating and instantly memorable “Bryllupsdag Pa Troldhaugen” (“Wedding Day at Troldhaugen”) which was dedicated to his wife on their wedding anniversary.