Grieg composed this symphony after being challenged to do so by danish composer Niels Gade during their first meeting. Grieg completed the symphony and presented it to Gade, who was quite impressed. The symphony was performed, (in various selections), 5 times throughout the 1860's, but after Grieg heard the composer Johan Svendsen's symphony in D-Major in 1867, he became embarrassed of his own and wrote on the cover: "Må aldrig opføres" - ("Must never be performed").

I have loved Grieg since I was a toddler. He will forever be in my top 10 for symphonic music.

When studying the original manuscript I noticed that Grieg had written instructions to himself when conducting it. These were just pencil jottings in the last movement and concerned various speeds. About halfway through he wrote 'Faster' and a few pages later 'Still Faster'. These never got into the printed version which is a pity, but the conductor of this recording seems to have observed them. Well done....

A Masterpiece from Grieg...

Wow. Something made me jump through everything on my shortcuts, and so Grieg it was! I'm suitably impressed.

I come from Czech republic and love our composers Bedřich Smetana and Antonín Dvořák and Mahler. But this... is... I don't say better than "our stuff", but VERY VERY touching and powerfull...

I was invited to visit Bergen many years ago to research a concert of Grieg's music to be given by my Namibia National Symphony and spent a week in the basement of the Bergen library studying the original manuscript of his symphony. The chief librarian told me the story of how it was now allowed to be played. It seems that a Russian professor of music had the same opportunity as I had and spent his time making a photocopy of the score from which he made a new edition of the work to be played in Russia. Since the Russians were now performing it the Norwegians decided to get an official edition prepared for performance. The new edition noted that Grieg's alterations in pencil should be included in the new score, the Russian photocopy had been unable to reproduce them.

This sounds like a good symphony to me. Grieg supposedly considered it a student work and did not want it performed, but it seems to me no better or worse than lots of other symphonies. I enjoy the themes and find them appealing, and that is enough for me.

BELLA SINFONIA QUE NO HA TENIDO LA DIVULGACION JUSTA QUE MERECE,BUENO AHORA ES EL MOMENTO EN NOMBRE DE .EDVARD GRIEG....que tiene un espiritu PROMETEICO........ DE CHILE

Great work by the young Grieg.

Epic masterwork by an epic composer. Edvard Grieg is the eternal Norwegian music master!!!

Beautiful. Music. Full. Stop.!! Love Grieg, will always love Grieg.

Unfortunately Grieg didn't deal with his symphony straight forward enough. Such beautiful music deserves to be more acknowledged. To most of the people even those who are musically educated this masterpiece is fairly unknown.

Great symphony by a great composer!

When Grieg after his basic education in Leipzig went to Copenhagen there he met the 26 years older Niels W Gade, who had become the great figure of Danish music. Grieg wanted to impress Gade with some piano pieces, but Gade replied "write a symphony". Grieg did what Gade had told him, and took Gades own 1st symphony i c minor as a pattern for his own work. Gade had been very successful with his first symphony which has the title "På Sjölunds fagre sletter", and Grieg wanted to write something very close to Gades previous work. He also used the same key. Gades symphony can be felt behind Griegs work. With piano sonatas it was similar, one year later. Gade had written one piano sonata, in e minor op. 28. ALso there Grieg wanted to write one by himself closely following Gades example, and therefore the two sonatas, by Gade and by Grieg (op.7) have a good deal of similarities.

Edvard Grieg Symphony in C-minor, EG 119 (1864) Mov.I: Allegro molto 00:00 Mov.II: Adagio espressivo 12:44 Mov.III: Intermezzo: Allegro energico 20:04 Mov.IV: Finale: Allegro molto vivace 25:10 Orchestra: Malmö Symphony Orchestra Conductor: Bjarte Engeset

Grieg never believed in this symphony, and insisted it be shelved forever. It is believed that he didn't want to compete with Johan Svendsen, whom he considered to be a superior symphonist, after he heard Svendsen's Symphony No. 1.

An absolutely epic symphony.

My comments are subjective. Do I like the work. A composer has to have training and talent to create the piece that I will like or not like. I wouldn't have a clue if the formal composition rules are kept or not. Edvard Grieg has long been a composer that I have listened to. I like his work. I like this work.

I have listened to the Svendsen Symphony No. 1 in D major, Op. 4 several times and, in my humble opinion, so far from being the better work it is not in the same league as the Grieg symphony!

This is a good recording; I'm playing this piece in the symphony I'm a part of. It'll be really helpful for learning the piece! Thanks for uploading it!

Excellent. Thanks fro uploading

Bjarte engeset the great Norwegian conductor.

It is grear work!

The finale movement has moments that seem to recall Schubert more than Beethoven.

Muy bella sinfonía de Grieg, lástima tan poco difundida su música, solo se escucha el Peer Gynt Muy buen gusto también por colocar de portada esa obra maravillosa de Turner- Gracias desde la Ciudad de Lanús, Buenos Aires,Argentina

Splendid stuff.

Que Hermosa!! Complejamente Bellisima!!!

A fine symphony, and Grieg knew it. Composed at 20, his first completed orchestral work, its excellent orchestration is thus even more remarkable. Four years later, on hearing his friend J.Svendsen's "scintillating" nationalistic 1st Symphony (comp. at 27), Grieg had already become convinced his own calling was in Norwegian music and regretted having allowed publication of his early (Op. 1 & 2) works from his "vanished Schumann period" - as he also considered this work. Sad. I love it.

So Beautiful ! Thank you ~

Very very interesting. Thanks.

Marvelous collection of music I've never heard, here and in the right sidebar selections.

I really enjoyed the symphony.When the main theme comes in during the first movement (1.20)... it does remind me of Eric Coates.

Composta a 16 anni,scrisse sul manoscritto che ' non sarebbe mai dovuta essere eseguita'.....' Incredibile, per me è il suo maggiore lavoro orchestrale .

Eg likar det(OK!)Ein groste romantiskke Sjmfoni!

Could have been a9/10 with such melodic and harmonic beauty but is more theatrical than pure muic

The comfort of this symphony is off the charts, and far superior splendor I am immersed in pleasure while listening to this music . Which national are you watching this video ？ From Tokyo in the dizzying megalopolis ablaze with neon .

아까 무더기 무더기 낙옆밟을때 들었으면 더 좋았을것을~. 음악도 시 와 사진도 특히 그리그의 참 멋있는사진 모두 춥기만 할뻔한 삭막한 밤을 따듯하고 예쁘게 해줍니다 고맙습니다.

It has tones and the feel of early Nielsen (His symphonies 1 & 2)

The tempo of the 3rd movement Intermezzo is Allegro energico.

Great

I'm listening to Greig, whilst writing in Gregg, whilst drinking Greg tea.

It is an insult!!! Constant commercials between movements which even cut into the music

Isn't it the same story with Bizet's 1st Symphony, after he heard Gounod's 1st? And how well known are the symphonies of Svendsen and Gounod today? We just can't expect a creative artist to be able to be objective about their work, which is why we don't have Sibelius' 8th Symphony.

preciosa

Fabulous piece. What's the painting you've paired with it?

06:42 Best best best moment O.O

I also listen to punk rock. In the end, I end up returning to classical music?

Merveille !! Mais quelqu'un connaît il le nom du tableau et de son auteur ?? Voilà une représentation bien singulière de l'industrie !

The Second Theme in 1st movement sound like local ballad.It's a neglected piece.

グリーグの長所を考えればこの作品は黒歴史と捉えざるを得ないが、シューマンに影響されていたという事を考えれば、今のグリーグがあるのはこういった無名時の本場に習った勤勉な時代があったおかげなのかもしれない…。

És una bona simfonia. S’hauria de programar més sovint. It is a good symphony. It should be programed much more often. First and last movement are great.

Never understood why he suddenly was so embarassed by this work that he banned it from performance. It is really a well crafted work and shows that he could handle symphonic forms and was not only a master of miniatures. Of course the Svendsen is the better work. So what?

A worthy effort, even if paying homage to Mendelssohn and Schuman.

Storm king mountain

I think Grieg rejected it because it was written before he had found his own voice. It's only when we compare it with the piano concerto, rather than the Svendsen symphony, that we can understand his decision to disown it. It's an excellent piece, but can't be compared with Grieg's greatest works.

Grieg's only completed symphony ... so that means, there's other uncompleted/unfinished symphony ?? I looked it up google - I couldn't find anything, so he probably just outlined little something :( :( I wish I could listen to just small piece ... but i thing it doesn't exist. If You know more, please write it down I'll appreciate it

Lovely work of course, but does anyone know the title and artist of the above painting?

podría decirme que pintura es la que reproducen!!

35:00

12:09

Grieg did not put that symphony in his catalog. He considered it as being too weak.

We hear Dvorak and Elgar 26:18

what is the name of this painting?

What does EG 119 mean?

Belle symphonie romantique, avec éclats de cuivre et thèmes vigoureux... Grieg n'avait pas de raison d'en avoir honte. Elle n'est pas sans qualités en dépit d'une certaine écriture, disons "tradituionnelle", un peu téléphonée dans l'adagio...

This is a good recording; I'm playing this piece in the symphony I'm a part of. It'll be really helpful for learning the piece! Thanks for uploading it!