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| Morning (1821) by Caspar David Friedrich |
It's been a while since we celebrated the birth date of a composer of classical music. So, let's take the opportunity to think on and enjoy the works of the great Norwegian composer, Edvard Grieg, born on this date in 1843. Overall, I'm not wild about his music, but I usually find it charming and fun. Late Romantic compositions often incorporated nationalistic themes and styles. Grieg's work is a paradigm of this trend.
My main criticism of his works is that they are so excessively folksy and syrupy that it's a bit overwhelming. It almost becomes campy or self-satirical. However, there is such a dedicated seriousness to the underlying compositional techniques that it can't be dismissed as mere bombast or sentimentality. No, although the expressive impression of these works seems flashy and shallow upon a casual listen, they are actually deep and complex works.
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| Stetind I Take (1864) by Peder Balke |
Let's give them a listen and you can judge for yourself.
