Lyric Suite, Op. 54<br>

Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) created the orchestral Lyric Suite, Op. 54 in 1904-1905 from four pieces in the fifth book of his Lyric Pieces for piano, originally composed around 1889-1891 and published in 1891. The suite has an unusual history: conductor Anton Seidl, then music director of the New York Philharmonic, had orchestrated four numbers from Op. 54 as a Norwegian Suite and introduced his arrangement in New York in 1895; after seeing Seidl's score, Grieg substantially reworked the orchestration according to his own conception, ultimately replacing Bell Ringing with his own orchestration of Shepherd Boy. The resulting four movements (1. Shepherd Boy; 2. Norwegian March (Gangar); 3. Nocturne; 4. March of the Dwarfs) offer a concentrated portrait of Grieg's musical world, ranging from pastoral melancholy and nocturnal lyricism to the characteristic rhythms and fantastic imagery associated with Norwegian folk culture. Published in 1905, Grieg's definitive Lyric Suite received its premiere on December 6, 1905 in Christiania (now Oslo), with the composer conducting the Music Association Orchestra; Grieg subsequently conducted it in several European cities, where contemporary accounts indicate that it was warmly received. Today, Lyric Suite, Op. 54 remains an admired, if less frequently encountered, part of Grieg's orchestral repertoire, prized for its vivid characterization, refined orchestral colors, and distinctly Norwegian atmosphere, and standing alongside the Peer Gynt suites and Holberg Suite as one of the most appealing orchestral transformations of his smaller-scale music. Instrumentation: 2+1(Picc).2.2.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp.Perc(2-3): Hp: Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set). Reprint edition.

Features:


Instrumentation: 2+1(Picc).2.2.2: 4.2.3.1: Timp.Perc(2-3): Hp: Str (9.8.7.6.5 in set)




Category: Full Orchestra
Contributors: By Edvard Grieg

Series: Kalmus Orchestra Library