Norwegian Music for Two Pianos

EYVIND ALNÆS (1872-1932): Marche symphonique, Op. 16, EIVIND GROVEN (1901-1977): Longing and Exploit, CHRISTIAN SINDING (1856-1941): Variations in E Minor, Op. 2, STÅLE KLEIBERG (b.1958): Walking by the Sea, EDVARD GRIEG (1843-1907): Old Norwegian Melody with Variations, Op. 51.

Description: New to disc are the rhapsodic and expressive 14-minute Marche by Alnæs (1904) which sounds like, but isn’t, a transcription of an orchestral piece, the seven-minute Longing by Groven which is a transcription, of part of a five movement symphonic poem of 1935 whose sad and bitter outer sections are enlivened by a folk-inspired central section, and Kleiberg’s little six-minute 1983 tone picture, neo-Romantic in style, whose literary source poem is also provided. Sinding’s large-scale set of variations isn’t exactly standard repertoire either, so that brings the total timing of “not-Grieg” to 45 minutes. Jorunn Marie Bratlie and Ivar Anton Waagaard (pianos).