Arietta (Lyric Pieces Op. 12 No. 1)

Edvard Grieg · Level 4 (Intermediate) · Romantic · Piano

The first of Grieg’s 66 Lyric Pieces, opening the first book (Op. 12, 1867): a little song without words. Grieg brought its theme back, turned into a waltz, in the very last piece of the cycle, “Remembrances” (Op. 71 No. 7). E♭ major, 2/4, Poco andante e sostenuto, 23 bars (about one minute), complete score after the Peters edition.

▶ Play this piece with the interactive score

How to practise it

• Listen first: the site plays it while the score scrolls.
• Wait mode: the score waits for you at every note, at your own pace.
• Tempo challenge: play in time, with a score and a map of the bars you got right.
• Each sixteenth-note arpeggio starts in the left hand (two notes) and ends in the right hand, under the melody: first practise this hand-over on its own, hands together and without the melody, until the four sixteenths sound even, as if played by one hand. Then add the melody with the 4th and 5th fingers, singing above a very soft accompaniment. Hold the tied bass notes and keep a calm tempo; the last bar slows down (ritard.) to the fermata.

More pieces by Edvard Grieg

• Album Leaf Op. 12 No. 7
• Troldtog (March of the Dwarfs) (Op. 54, No. 3)
• Wedding Day at Troldhaugen (Lyric Pieces Op. 65 No. 6)
• The Death of Åse (Peer Gynt Op. 46 No. 2)
• The Mountaineer’s Song Op. 73 No. 7
• In the Hall of the Mountain King (Peer Gynt), theme
• Folk Melody (Lyric Pieces Op. 12 No. 5)
• Morning Mood (Peer Gynt), theme

Source : Note after Note, d’après l’édition C.F. Peters, Leipzig (vers 1895, rév. Adolf Ruthardt), scan IMSLP n° 336077 · Public Domain