1. 2nd Suite for Orchestra of Peer Gynt, dramatic poem by Ibsen;
2. Songs for Baritone with orchestra; a. To My Country. b. A Swan c. The Solitary One
3. The Holberg (the Moliere of the North [a nickname for playwright Ludwig Holberg] Suite in the old style for string instruments;
4. At the Door of the Cloister for soprano and alto solo, women’s chorus and orchestra;
5. 3 pieces for the orchestra from Sigurd Jorsalfar, a play by Björnson.
All the works have not yet been performed under my baton, but if you find it wiser to repeat something of my 1890 program, I will do it willingly. No. 4 is, as you can see, a work with a soprano solo and women’s chorus. I have chosen it supposing that you would be able to prepare a chorus. The score is easy and short, and the words are translated. Do you have a men’s chorus? In this case, I have more works to propose. In hoping to obtain your response soon, I pray that you, dear master and friend, and Madame Colonne, accept the wish to receive my wife and myself with the assurance of our most distinguished sentiments. Please excuse my bad French…”
Edvard Grieg
Between 1867 and 1901, Grieg wrote ten collections of Lyric Pieces for piano, whose harmonies, inspired by the late romantic style, were considered avant-garde. Among the more popular ones are the incidental music to Peer Gynt, Opus 23, the Holberg suite, Opus 40, and the incidental music to Sigurd Jorsalfar, Opus 22, a musical setting of Norwegian author Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson’s (1832-1910) play, all mentioned in our letter.
The Concerts Colonne, an orchestral association which still exists today, was founded in Paris in 1874. Colonne’s reign as director of the concerts at the Théâtre du Châtelet did much to advance the careers of many contemporary composers, including Grieg. Grieg’s wife, Nina Grieg (1845-1935), an accomplished singer, was the most sensitive interpreter of her husband’s songs, and the joint recitals the couple gave across Europe were remarkably successful.
Penned on a single folded sheet in Grieg’s fine, flowing script, our letter is boldly signed. Several traces of mounting on the verso, not affecting the text, otherwise fine.
