From Birmingham
THE BIRMINGHAM STUDIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, conducted by JULIUS HARRISON THIS is, perhaps, the most popular of Grieg's larger works. There are three Movements as follows : — FIRST MOVEMENT (Moderately quick).—After a preliminary flourish on the Piano, the First Main Tune, vigorous and romantic, is at once given out. It consists chiefly of a little curt phrase in Woodwind, and a more suave phrase, which is at first given to Clarinet and Bassoon, and then repeated at great length and more fully orchestrated. This whole (fairly long) Tune is repeated on the Piano (lightly accompanied by Strings). Then follows a longish passage of rapid, light-handed work for the Piano and Strings and Woodwind. At the end of this there is something of a climax, and then comes the beautiful Second Main Tune. SECOND MOVEMENT (Slow). — This is a brief, highly expressive Movement. It opens with a long Tune given to Muted Strings. At the end of this the Piano enters with a long, rhapsodical passage (lightly accompanied). Eventually, Flute and Clarinet quietly suggest the Tune with which the Movement opentd, which the Piano then declaims at full length. THIRD MOVEMENT (Quick and emphatic). —
A few soft, detached chords in the Orchestra, a very loud Piano flourish, and one loud chord (Full Orchestra), and we are plunged into what is, in effect, a lively Dance, strongly Norwegian in flavour. The Dance is interrupted for a time, whilst we hear, as it were in the distance, a song, still more strikingly Norwegian. The Dance soon returns and swings along until, at the end, the song-tune is declaimed loudly by piano and orchestra.