Griegs Lyric Pieces make a fascinating chronicle
of his composing career. As James Murrays helpful note explains, they
were published in ten volumes, extending from the first, op.12, in 1867,
to the last, op.71, in 1901. Many of them have become well-established
classics of the pianists repertoire, including a number featured on
this disc, for example Wedding Day, Butterfly and Puck.
What is striking is the consistently high quality of the pieces; very
few are more than a couple of minutes long, yet they capture their moods
and pictures with such deft perfection. How much they must have inspired
other composers of piano miniatures, such as Debussy and Bartók,
the more so given their harmonic daring and pungent folk-music references,
which always keep sentimentality at bay.
Håken Austbø seems the perfect pianist
for this wonderful music. Though not Norwegian by birth (he grew up
in France), Norway is clearly in his blood and in his genes, and he
responds with wholly convincing open-heartedness to the glories of the
music. To take one track almost at random, try one of the perhaps less
familiar pieces, op. 47 no.3, simply entitled Melodie. Grieg
spins a melancholy line of classical beauty here, and Austbø
is able to catch perfectly that sadness combined with strength that
is the musics special quality. All to do with finding exactly the right
tempo, and being aware of the delicious touches of harmony and texture
that light up every corner of the music. He equally gives the more robust
numbers thrilling performances; the Halling of track 8 is bracing
with its semitonal clangs, while the celebrated March of the Dwarfs
has an irresistible rhythmic drive and just the right sense of reckless
abandon.
Austbø has built up an enviable reputation on
CD already, mostly for his brilliant Messiaen recordings. I urge anyone
who loves Grieg, or indeed piano music as a whole, to listen to this
disc, which is a worthy competitor to Gilels on DG, showing perhaps
even more affectionate responsiveness to the idiom of the music. You
have here a consummate artist of profound sensitivity, who has both
the imagination and the flawless technique to make the most of these
exquisite masterpieces. The nice thing is that he has recorded in this
issue only a selection; there are plenty of treasures still to be mined,
and I for one cant wait for more.
Gwyn Parry-Jones
Peter Hartmann writes that:-
Contrary to what Gwyn Parry-Jones
says in his review Austbø has indeed recorded the complete Lyric
Pieces (Books I-X) by the Norwegian master. The recording is from the
Dutch budget label Brilliant Classics (no. 99748) in a 3 CD box and
is available from Crotchet
for £8.99.
It is a very good recording, no doubt, but even better
than this and Gilels' or Richter's or Gieseking's recordings is Leif
Ove Andsnes's version on Virgin Classics, currently available as a budget
double CD. Crotchet
£8.99 For everybody interested in Grieg this version is an absolute
must.
Peter Hartmann
January 19, 2002
Håken Austbø,
piano