Edvard Grieg Popular Melody Con moto F sharp Minor Op. 12 No. 5 by Robert von Heeren

Edvard Grieg Fairy Dance Molto Allegro e sempre staccato E minor Op.12 No. 4 by Robert von Heeren

Edvard Grieg Watchman's Song Molto Andante E semplice E-major Op. 12 No. 3 by Robert von Heeren

Edvard Grieg Waltz Allegro Moderato A minor Op. 12 No. 2 by Robert von Heeren

This little beautiful piece is the opening piece of the "Lyric Pieces for piano" series by Edvard Grieg, which he composed during his life in ten so called "books". He invented this genre of "lyric" pieces, which means emotional, sometimes melancholic, sometimes joyful shorter and vocal/melodic piano works. During his life he composed 66 lyric pieces, which complexity progresses from book to book, They become longer and are so innovative that one would partly assign them to more modern composers even up to jazz. In his first books, which he composed between 1863 and 1867, he takes his first steps with little but characteristically very different works, wherein his ingenuity and unique style is evident. He often incorporates melodies, themes or rhythms from Nordic folk music, but transforms them into pianistically quite demanding (much sounds easier than it is technically) little works of art with a unique mood.

Grieg's lyric piece became very famous and still played very often in piano schools and sometimes in concerts.

In his last work in this series, No. 66, he refers to this Arietta again and transforms it into a waltz that goes through many modulations, a bit tongue-in-cheek. So the circle closes at the end, again very emotional, but a bit more cheerful.

From 1891

1890

From 1909

From 1903

From 1914