Lyric Pieces (Norwegian: Lyriske stykker) is a collection of 66 short pieces for solo piano written by Edvard Grieg. They were published in 10 volumes, from 1867 (Op. 12) to 1901 (Op. 71). The collection includes several of his best known pieces, such as "Wedding Day at Troldhaugen" ("Bryllupsdag på Troldhaugen"), "To Spring" ("Til våren"), "March of the Trolls" ("Trolltog"), and "Butterfly" ("Sommerfugl").
The theme of the first piece in the set, "Arietta", was one of the composer's favorite melodies. He used it to complete the cycle in his last lyric piece, "Remembrances" ("Efterklang") — this time as a waltz.
Four of the six pieces from Book V, Op. 54, were orchestrated under the title of Lyric Suite. Both Grieg and Anton Seidl had a hand in the orchestrations. Grieg also orchestrated two of the pieces from Book IX, Op. 68.
Complete listing
Even though it was published in several volumes, some publishers, such as Edition Peters, have numbered the pieces as a whole, thereby numbering the 66 pieces in order, instead of numbering each volume individually.
12'Spring Dance' is the traditional translation of the Norwegian 'Springdans', but the word refers to its sense in English of 'leap' or 'jump', not the season 'Spring'. The booklet notes to Grieg: Complete Works for Piano Solo; Gerhard Oppitz, Piano (RCA Victor Red Seal 09026-61569-2, 1993) use the less ambiguous translation 'Leaping Dance'.
Further reading
Grieg, Edvard (2008): Thematisch-Bibliographisches Werkverzeichnis, ed. Dan Fog, Kirsti Grinde and Øyvind Norheim. Frankfurt/Main Leipzig London New York: Collection LitolffISBN978-3876269900OCLC244788726
Krellmann, Hanspeter (2008): Griegs lyrische Klavierstücke: Ein musikalischer Werkführer. Munich: C. H. Beck ISBN978-3406448157OCLC428986911
