WHEN EDVARD MET PERCY

Transcription

1 PRESENTS WHEN EDVARD MET PERCY A fascinating documentary exploring the unusual relationship that developed between Norway s greatest composer, Edvard Grieg, and Australia s wunderkind pianist, Percy Grainger, told in their own words. I missed the marvellous Percy Grainger, who turned pages for me at the concert and whom I love as if he were a young woman Edvard Grieg, Thursday 24 May 1906 Narrated by Natalie Shea Cast Edvard Grieg Ole Böhn Percy Grainger Toby Chadd PRINCIPAL SPONSOR 1

2 BONUS FEATURES GRAINGER S LETTERS Extracts from Grainger s response to Grieg s letter complimenting him on his splendid folk song settings for mixed voices 14 April 1905 Dear Master, I cannot begin to tell you with what deep joy and surprise I received your picture; nor can I thank you for your very great goodness in writing to me the friendly words on it. I am exceedingly happy and proud that you don t think badly of my folksongs. Accompanying photo, dedicated In most heartfelt thankfulness & admiration, Percy Grainger

3 Extracts from Percy Grainger s letter to Edvard Grieg 8 December 1906 Dear Master, No, it was all too lovely to get the long sweet letter from you. How kind it is of you to spare me so much time. I am inexpressibly happy to have the 2 lovely letters from you; a thousand thanks. This about the Leeds Festival is enchanting. Even if your kind thought about letting me play the piano concerto doesn t come to anything, it will always be the most lovely thought for me to remember that you once wanted it. I can t at all tell you what this means to me. Yes, piano concertos are performed at such Festivals. The last Leeds Festival they didn t have any piano, but on the other hand at the previous festivals [they did]. O Do you mean that I could possibly come to you up in Troldhaugen next summer? If you could have me, it would indeed be glorious. But probably you don t mean that. And you mustn t tire yourself by writing an answer to this question. There is no hurry at all for me to know it. How nice (for the Germans etc) that you are going to conduct in Germany and elsewhere; I wish that I could be there and listen to it! It is lovely to think about Leeds. 3

4 GRIEG S DIARY Extract from Edvard Grieg s diary 24 May 1906 Very nice, but I missed Johannes Wolff and the marvellous Percy Grainger, who turned pages for me at the concert and whom I love as if he were a young woman. It is a dangerous thing to be strongly admired, but when one admires in return, as I do in this case, that evens it out. I have not met anyone who understands me as he does. And he is from Australia. So what is there to this reproach by the honourable critics to the effect that my music is too Norwegian? It is stupidity and ignorance and that is all. Extract from Edvard Grieg s diary 30 May 1906 And how Percy Grainger played several of them as arranged for piano! There is no Norwegian pianist at the moment who can match him, and that is significant in more ways than one. It shows that we still do not have a Norwegian pianist who has enough understanding to tackle such challenges. It also shows that if this understanding does not exist where it ought to, namely Norway, then it can be found elsewhere yes even in Australia, where the marvellous Percy Grainger was born. In general, this harangue about having to be a Norwegian in order to understand Norwegian music, and especially to perform it, is sheer nonsense. Music that has staying power, in any case, be it ever so national, rises high above the merely national level. It is cosmopolitan. 4

5 GRIEG S LETTERS Extract from Edvard Grieg s letter to Percy Grainger 30 June 1906 Dear Percy Grainger! Thank you for your letter! Let me say it right away: I like you! I like your healthy, wholesome view of art, your unspoiled nature which even high life has not been able to destroy and also your deep feeling for the folk song and all the possibilities it carries within its bosom. Courtesy Grainger Museum collection, University of Melbourne Extract from Edvard Grieg s letter to Percy Grainger 25 May 1907 Dear Percy Grainger! It is unfortunately a sick man who is writing to you. I am in a lot of pain. I was feeling relatively good when I came to Copenhagen after my concerts. In order to fully restore my health, I made use there of the famous Finsen electric light baths. But I was not able to tolerate these. My nervous system got totally shattered, and now I am as low as I have been in a long time. Insomnia, breathing difficulty (asthma) and hallucinations make my life a continuous torment. Courtesy Grainger Museum collection, University of Melbourne 5

6 Edvard Grieg and Percy Grainger in Troldhaugen, 26 July

7 Music in order of appearance To find out more about the new album Morning Mood: Solo Piano Music of Edvard Grieg performed by Gerard Willems, visit GRIEG Morning Mood, from Peer Gynt Suite No.1, Op.46 Percy Grainger piano, Albuquerque Civic Orchestra (recorded 1947) Courtesy of Barry Ould (The Grainger Estate) GRIEG Arietta, from Lyric Pieces Book 1, Op.12 GRIEG Longing, from 23 Little Pieces, EG104 (No.2) GRIEG Solveig s Song, from Piano Pieces after Original Songs, Vol.II, Op.52 (No.4) GRIEG From Holberg s Time, Op.40 GRAINGER Country Gardens Percy Grainger piano (recorded 1918) From Percy Grainger: The complete 78-rpm solo recordings Courtesy of Mike Spring APN (Appian Publications & Recordings) LISZT Hungarian Rhapsody, No. 12 Percy Grainger piano (recorded 1929) From Percy Grainger plays Grieg & Liszt Courtesy of Dr Clark McAlister Klavier Music Productions GRAINGER Irish Tune, from County Derry Percy Grainger piano (recorded 1915) From Pleasant and Delightful Courtesy of Stuart McCarthy Undercover Music Pty Ltd GRIEG The First Meeting, from Piano Pieces after Original Songs, Vol. II, Op. 52 (No.2) GRIEG Slåtter Op.72, No. 1 7

8 GRIEG Peer Gynt Suite Op.46, No. 1 Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Sebastian Lang-Lessing conductor From Grieg: Peer Gynt Suites, Holberg Suite & Wedding at Troldhaugen (ABC Classics ) GRIEG To Spring, from Lyric Pieces Book 3, Op.43 GRIEG Slåtter Op. 72, No. 12 Performed by Torgeir Kinne Solsvik. GRIEG Ballade Op. 24 Percy Grainger piano (recorded 1929) From Percy Grainger plays Grieg & Liszt Courtesy of Dr Clark McAlister Klavier Music Productions GRIEG Slåtter Op. 72 No.2 GRIEG Peer Gynt Suite Op.46, No. 3 Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Sebastian Lang-Lessing conductor From Grieg: Peer Gynt Suites, Holberg Suite & Wedding at Troldhaugen (ABC Classics ) GRIEG Mountaineer s Song, from Moods, Op.73 (No.7) GRIEG Wedding Day at Troldhaugen, from Lyric Pieces, Book 8, Op. 65 GRIEG Berceuse, from Lyric Pieces, Book 2, Op.38 GRAINGER Mock Morris Percy Grainger piano (recorded 1914) From Percy Grainger: The complete 78-rpm solo recordings Courtesy of Mike Spring APN (Appian Publications & Recordings) GRIEG Menuetto from Piano Sonata Op. 7 From Robert Schumann Dichterliebe & Edvard Grieg Songs Courtesy of Torgeir Kinne Solsvik GRIEG Cello Sonata Op.36 Raya Garbousova cello, Arthur Balsam piano (recorded late 1940s) GRIEG Slåtter Op.72, No. 10 8

9 GRAINGER Shepherd s Hey Percy Grainger piano (recorded 1914) From Percy Grainger: The complete 78-rpm solo recordings Courtesy of Mike Spring APN (Appian Publications & Recordings) GRIEG Slåtter Op.72, No. 5 Incidental music (GRIEG Wedding Day at Troldhaugen) performed by Gerard Willems GRIEG Peer Gynt Suite Op.55, No. 4 Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Sebastian Lang-Lessing conductor From Grieg: Peer Gynt Suites, Holberg Suite & Wedding at Troldhaugen (ABC Classics ) GRIEG The Lad and the Lass in the Cow-Shed Loft, from Improvisations on Two Norwegian Folk Songs, Op.29 (No.1) GRIEG Slåtter Op.72, No. 3 Incidental music () performed by Gerard Willems BRAHMS Sonata No. 3 in F minor Percy Grainger piano (recorded 1926) From Percy Grainger: The complete 78-rpm solo recordings Courtesy of Mike Spring APN (Appian Publications & Recordings) Incidental music () performed by Gerard Willems GRIEG Slåtter Op.72, No. 7 Incidental music () performed by Gerard Willems GRIEG Lonely Wanderer, from Lyric Pieces, Book 3, Op. 43 GRIEG The Death Of Åse, from Peer Gynt Suite No.1, Op. 46 9

10 GRIEG Funeral March for Rikard Nordraak, EG 107 Percy Grainger piano (recorded 1929). Orchestral accompaniment edited and adapted by Percy Grainger. From Percy Grainger plays Grieg & Liszt Courtesy of Dr Clark McAlister Klavier Music Productions 10

11 Written and produced by Brendan Ward Producers Brendan Ward & Toby Chadd Technical producer Neil McIntosh (Tracks Post Production, Crows Nest) The producers wish to thank the following for their valuable assistance: Teresia Fors Stephen R Smith Sue Scott Astrid Britt Krautschneider Torgeir Kinne Solsvik Dr Clark McAlister Mike Spring Stuart McCarthy David Pear Stephen Snelleman Letters and diary extracts are taken from the following sources: Dreyfus, Kay (ed.) The Farthest North of Humanness: Letters of Percy Grainger (Macmillan, Melbourne, 1985) Benestad, Finn and Halverson, William H. (eds. and trans.) Edvard Grieg: Diaries, Articles, Speeches (Peer Gynt Press, Columbus, Ohio, 2001) Benestad, Finn (ed.) Edvard Grieg: Letters to Colleagues and Friends (Halverson, William H., trans.) (Peer Gynt Press, Columbus, Ohio, 2000) Finck, Henry T. Grieg and His Music (John Lane Company, New York, 1910) Carley, Lionel Edvard Grieg in England (Boydell Press, Woodbridge, 2006) PRINCIPAL SPONSOR 10