GRIEG Chasing the Butterfly

Sigurd Slåttebrekk (Grieg's own piano at Troldhaugen)

Edvard Grieg (piano, 1903 acoustic recordings)

Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Michail Jurowski (conductor)

Tony Harrison (creative director)

Disc 1:

Wedding Day at Troldhaugen (Lyric Pieces, Op. 65, No. 6)

III Alla menuetto (Piano Sonata in E minor, Op. 7)

IV Finale (Piano Sonata in E minor, Op. 7)

Til Våren

To Spring (Lyric Pieces, Op. 43, No. 6)

Gangar (Lyric Pieces, Op. 54, No. 2)

Butterfly (Lyric Pieces, Op. 54, No. 1)

Tempo de Menuetto (Humoresker, Op. 6, No. 2)

The Bridal Procession (Folkelivsbilder, Op. 19, No. 2)

Remembrances (Lyric Pieces, Op. 71, No. 7)

Piano Sonata in E minor, Op. 7, I Allegro moderato

Piano Sonata in E minor, Op. 7, II Andante molto

Piano Sonata in E minor, Op. 7, III Alla menuetto

Piano Sonata in E minor, Op. 7, IV Finale

Ballade in G minor, Op. 24

Wedding Day at Troldhaugen (Lyric Pieces, Op. 65, No. 6)

III Alla menuetto (Piano Sonata in E minor, Op. 7)

IV Finale (Piano Sonata in E minor, Op. 7)

Til Våren

To Spring (Lyric Pieces, Op. 43, No. 6)

Gangar (Lyric Pieces, Op. 54, No. 2)

Butterfly (Lyric Pieces, Op. 54, No. 1)

Tempo de Menuetto (Humoresker, Op. 6, No. 2)

The Bridal Procession (Folkelivsbilder, Op. 19, No. 2)

Remembrances (Lyric Pieces, Op. 71, No. 7)

Wedding Day at Troldhaugen (Op. 65, No. 6)

To Spring (Lyric Pieces, Op. 43, No. 6)

Disc 2:

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 16, I Allegro molto moderato

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 16, II Andante

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, Op. 16, III

Allegro moderato

Chasing The Butter Fly Website (Opens in a new window)

On this fascinating new release pianist Sigurd Slåttebrekk has attempted to recreate the performance of Edvard Grieg’s own pioneering acoustic recording from 1903 of several of his solo pieces. The session was recorded on Grieg’s own 1892 Steinway at Troldhaugen. On the bonus second CD he is joined by the Oslo Philharmonic and conductor Michail Jurowski in a performance of Grieg’s Piano Concerto.

Sigurd Slåttebrekk has previously released acclaimed recordings of Ravel and Schumann, co-created the animated TV-series "Elias" for children (Emmy nomination 2006) and is now finishing his thesis on late 19th Century pianist performing styles. Tony Harrison is a classical music producer regarded as among the foremost and most creative in his field today.

The 1903 acoustic recordings of Grieg playing nine of his own piano pieces are well known. Sigurd Slåttebrekk and creative director Tony Harrison were drawn to the artistic quality of the playing itself, and this evolved into a historic pioneering project of 'musical archaeology', reviving a performance tradition from over a hundred years ago. They have listened in depth to each detail of Grieg's own playing and tried to imitate the performances at Grieg's piano at Troldhaugen. Slåttebrekk has not only recorded the pieces Grieg himself made, he has also further applied what he has learned about Grieg’s approach to performance in his completion of the Sonata in E minor, and the epic Ballade in G minor.

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