Edvard Grieg was the father of Norwegianmusic; his most famous pieces are the PianoConcerto in A Minor and the incidentalmusic to Peer Gynt. Sent to study at theconservatory of Leipzig during his teens, hiscompositions show a thorough grounding inthe European Romantic tradition, although his later works explore the idea of a national Norwegian style.His chamber music showcases the way inwhich he actively sought to weave thecharacteristics of Norwegian popular musicinto accepted compositional forms andstyles. Grieg himself said of the violinsonatas: ‘They are representative of thethree periods of my evolution: the first naiveand full of melodic ideas, the secondnationalistic, and the third turning to muchvaster horizons.’ The quartet in G Minorinitially proved a problem for the composer,but it is nonetheless a triumph, brimmingwith impressive moments such as thebeauty of the pastoral reverie and therelentless rhythm of the energetic finale.The collection also includes the CelloConcerto in A Minor – written for Grieg’sbrother John, an amateur cellist – the StringQuartet No.2 in F and the Andante con motofor piano trio.The recording boasts a wealth of renownedchamber musicians; among them are theMoscow Trio, an ensemble that hasachieved great success in Europe. Alsofeatured are acclaimed performers such asAlexander Vinnitsky, Vladimir Ovchinnikovand Alexander Rudin.

The Moscow Trio:

Alexander Bonduriansky piano,

Vladimir Ivanov violin

Mikhail Utkin cello

Alexander Vinnitsky violin,

Vladimir Ovchinnikov piano

Alexander Rudin cello,

Vladimir Skanavi piano

Alexander Tchernov,

Irina Popova violins

Igor Boguslavsky viola,

Alexander Rudin cello