Edvard Grieg, Chamber Music

Book excerpt: In anticipation of the 150th anniversary of Grieg's birth, this book traces Grieg's development from his early German romantic style, through his period of pronounced nationalism toward a more individual idiom in which he sought to fuse nationalism and universality into a genuine style of his own. The compositions are treated chronologically and stylistic analyses form the basic evaluations. The book focuses on characteristic stylistic traits as well as aspects of rhythm and harmony. The analysis of each single movement is followed by a brief synopsis of the formal construction of each composition.