Released in honor of the centenary of Grieg's death, this is a loving tribute to Norway's greatest composer by a compatriot and renowned interpreter of his music. The album includes reissues of Andsnes' award-winning recording of the "Concerto" with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Lyric Pieces, recorded in Grieg's home on his own piano, and a new recording of the "Ballade Op. 24," an unfamiliar piece Andsnes only recently added to his repertoire and is performing in public for the first time this season. Dark, brooding, and melancholy, it was written when Grieg, despite his growing international fame, was facing personal and creative crises. Cast in the form of a large-scale set of variations, it is essentially a series of almost improvisatory character pieces, related but highly contrasting in style, sound, texture, and mood. It is technically extremely demanding, especially as it builds toward its spectacular final climax. The Lyric Pieces, composed throughout most of Grieg's life, are charming, descriptive miniatures; they vary in style from impressionism to folk-music, and in mood from the pensive, poetic "Homesickness" to the cheerful, robust dance, "Wedding Day at Troldhaugen." The "Concerto," written in 1868 when Grieg was only 25, is the epitome of unabashed romanticism and one of the repertoire's enduring favorites. Though sometimes dismissed as unsophisticated and naïve, its qualities emerge clearly in the right hands, and Andsnes' performance could hardly be bettered. He commands the keyboard with natural, unobtrusive virtuosity and an infinite variety of touch, color, and nuance. The melodies sing; cascades of runs ripple and flow with crystal clarity; tone and expression can change in an instant. Mightily abetted by the wonderful orchestra, he makes the music sound wistful, dreamy, and delicate, or grand and heroic; it never loses its elegance and sentiment never turns into sentimentality. --Edith Eisler
