Holberg Suite

Background#

The Holberg Suite was originally composed for the piano in September 1884, but a year later was adapted by Grieg himself for string orchestra. The suite consists of an introduction and a set of dances. It is an early essay in neoclassicism, an attempt to echo as much as was known in Grieg’s time of the music of Holberg’s era. The work was premiered on 15 March 1885 in Bergen. The French premiere was on 22 April 1894 at an all-Grieg concert at the Concerts Colonne, conducted by Grieg himself.

Structure#

The movements of the suite are:

Piano version and string orchestration#

“The music is thought out most idiomatically for both forces.” However, the version for string orchestra differs in a number of respects from the solo piano original. The “Praeludium” in the piano version opens with a series of arpeggios. The orchestral version replaces these with chords repeated in a dactylic rhythm. Another striking transformation occurs in bars 31 to 34 of the “Praeludium”. Grieg’s orchestration develops this into a series of chords played by divisi violins. To this he adds a new counterpoint consisting of scales played pizzicato on violas.

External links#

• “Performance of string orchestra version” by chammber orchestra A Far Cry, via the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in MP3 format
• , Gerhard Oppitz
• , Symphony orchestra of the Hoch Conservatory, Barbara Kummer-Buchberger conducting.