Edvard Grieg: Sonata for Cello and Piano in A Minor, Op. 36

Recorded at http://www.springlightmusic.com

Anastasia Injushina piano, Jian Wang cello

Edvard Grieg (1843--1907) usually gave the traditional musical forms a wide birth, seeking to express himself in lyrical images and with rhapsodic freedom. The Cello Sonata of 1883 was commissioned by the Leipzig music publisher Peters, but Grieg found more personal motivation by dedicating it to his cellist brother John. The premiere performance was given by John's teacher, the famous cellist and composer Julius Klengel, with Edvard at the keyboard.

Along with the Piano Concerto and the third Violin Sonata, the Cello Sonata is one of Grieg's most full-blooded works. Yet instead of classical balance, Grieg aimed at seething emotional expression -- passions reflected in both extremes of tempo and radiant, singing themes and folk song motifs.