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Two Elegiac Melodies

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Two Elegiac Melodies, Op. 34, is a composition in two movements for string orchestra by Edvard Grieg, completed in 1880 and first published in 1881.

Background

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The two movements are instrumental arrangements Grieg made of two of his 12 Melodies, Op. 33, published in 1880: these were settings for voice and piano of words by the Norwegian poet and journalist Aasmund Olavsson Vinje.[1][2]

Two Elegiac Melodies was dedicated to Heinrich von Herzogenberg.[3] Grieg also made an arrangement for solo piano.[1]

Description

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It is scored for 1st violins (sometimes in two parts), 2nd violins (in two parts), violas (in two parts), cellos and double basses. The many parts allow for a thick texture when required.

"The Wounded Heart"

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Norwegian: Hjertesår. German: Herzwunden.

Vinje's words, from Grieg's Op. 33 No. 3, relate that wounds have been suffered by the heart in the struggles of life, but it has survived; faith is not destroyed.[1]

The music is in C minor. There are three verses: in verse 1 the melody is played by the first violins; in verse 2 by the cellos, with an insistent quaver accompaniment from all other parts, contrasting with the other verses; and in verse 3 by the first violins, the orchestration being similar to the first verse, but heavier.

 {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"violin" \key c \minor \tempo "Allegretto espressivo" \partial 4 g'4 fis'4.( fis'8--) g'4( bes'8 g'8) fis'4 fis'8 fis'8 g'4.( g'8--) a'4 a'8 a'8 bes'4( a'8 g'8--) bes'4 a'2 }

The beginning of the melody of "The Wounded Heart", played by the 1st violins

"The Last Spring"

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Norwegian: Våren. German: Letzter Frühling.

In Vinje's words, from Grieg's Op. 33 No. 2, the poet describes the beauty of the countryside in spring, appearing after the snow of winter; he thinks he might be seeing it for the last time.[4]

The music is in G major. There are two verses: in both the melody is played by the first violins. The orchestration of the second verse is more developed, starting with the violins, in four parts, in high register; the rest of the strings gradually join in during the verse, until a thick texture is heard from the full string orchestra towards the end.

 {\set Staff.midiInstrument = #"violin" \key g \major \tempo "Andante" b'4( g'8 b'8) e''4( d''8 cis''8) d''4( a'8 b'8) c''4.( d''8) b'2. g'8-- a'8-- b'4( d''2 cis''4)  c''4( a'8 c''8) f''4( e''8 dis''8) e''4( b'8 c''8) d''4.( e''8) c''2. b'8-- a'8-- b'4( g'4)( g'4.) r8}

The beginning of the melody of "The Last Spring", played by the 1st violins

References

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  1. ^ a b c Grieg – Two Elegiac Melodies for string orchestra, Op. 34 Utah Symphony, accessed 7 April 2017.
  2. ^ Edvard Grieg – Elegiac Melodies (2) for orchestra (or piano), Op. 34 Allmusic, accessed 7 April 2017.
  3. ^ The dedication is shown on the cover of the score.
  4. ^ Grieg: The Last Spring, Op. 34 No. 2 San Francisco Symphony, accessed 7 April 2017.
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