Program Notes
EDWARD GRIEG
“Air” from The Holberg Suite
When the noted playwright Ludvig Holberg (1684-1754) was honored on the bicentenary of his birth, Grieg paid tribute by composing a suite for solo piano which made use of musical forms contemporary with Holberg. While they may have been archaic forms, he wrote in a lush Romantic style thoroughly infused with Nordic ambiance.
An “Air,” simply put, is another term for song – to exhale; in this case, it’s another song without words. Grieg’s “Air” is the fourth of five movements in the suite and is marked “Andante Religioso.” It employs a miniature sonata form structure (ABA) to present a nearly endless melody that is shared between the soprano and bass. It is one of my all-time favorite musical compositions. Its sincere beauty instantly communicates a world of heartache and humanity.
The works on "On Wings of Song"
- Mendelssohn: "On Wings of Song"
- Ravel: Gaspard de la nuit
- Mozart: Sonata in E-flat major, K. 282
- Grieg: "Air" from Holberg Suite
- Liszt: Reminiscences of Norma
- Bach/Anderson: "Erbarme Dich" from St. Matthew Passion
- Encore - Strauss/Godowsky: "Standchen"
