Скачать или смотреть "In Autumn" Concert Overture in D minor - Edvard Grieg

Cologne West German Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Eivind Aadland.

I - Andante - Adagio - Allegro agitato - Più lento - Tempo I - Allegro marcato e maestoso: 0:00

Grieg's "In Autumn" overture was composed in 1865, being partially based on the song "Autumn Storm". The words depict the autumn as a time of destructive death and decay, but also of harvesting and cyclical coherence. Despite the song and the subtitle, the work is not really programatic in nature, only slightly suggesting this idea.

On a visit to Copenhagen, Grieg showed the work to Niels Gade, who told him: "This is trash, Grieg; go home and write something better." So he arranged it as a piano duet and sent it to a competition at the Swedish Academy, judged by Gade and others. This form won first prize and was published in Stockholm. The original orchestral version was deeply revised in 1887.

The piece is structured in sonata form. Opens with an emphatic introduction, with strong D major chords contrasted by gentle woodwind phrases. The tension slowly builds, leading to the presentation of a darkly romantic theme in D minor, taken from the aforementioned song. In contrast, the second theme is deeply lyrical and delicate. The development shows the influence of german composers (particularly Schumann), still being imaginative and interesting. It brings the return of previous themes through a series of restless modulations. A transition of horn and strings takes us to a varied recapitulation of the main themes. A triumphally galloping coda ends the overture.

Picture: "Tranquillity after the Storm" (1871) by the Norwegian painter Erik Bodom.

Musical analysis partially written by myself. Source: https://bit.ly/3wDEbKz