The suites from Peer Gynt, through no fault of his own, are Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg's calling card. Certain pieces, such as "Morning Mood" and "In the Hall of the Mountain King" are well known even among those who have never heard of Grieg. However, Grieg's incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt is only seldom recorded as a complete unit. Part of the problem is a textual one, as although Grieg finished the score barely in time for the premiere of Peer Gynt in 1876, he continued to alter it over the course ...
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The suites from Peer Gynt, through no fault of his own, are Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg's calling card. Certain pieces, such as "Morning Mood" and "In the Hall of the Mountain King" are well known even among those who have never heard of Grieg. However, Grieg's incidental music to Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt is only seldom recorded as a complete unit. Part of the problem is a textual one, as although Grieg finished the score barely in time for the premiere of Peer Gynt in 1876, he continued to alter it over the course of the next 20 years. A critical edition incorporating Grieg's final thoughts on the matter was not published until 1987 and was concurrently recorded for Deutsche Grammophon by Neeme Järvi and the Gothenburg Symphony. The family tradition is carried on in this Virgin Classics recording, as it is led by his son, Paavo Järvi, with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. In orchestral terms, the younger Järvi's Grieg: Peer Gynt is a magnificent performance, fully capturing the sweep...
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