These delightful piano miniatures are based on L.M. Lindeman's "Aeldre og nyere norske fjeldmelodier" (Old and New Norwegian Country Melodies). This selection displays the wonderful variety:

1. "Spring Dance" is a spirited, lilting melody in 3/4 with a skip on the last beat played over changing accompaniments: (1) a rhythmic drone, (2) contrasting accents (beats 1 and 3 in the first measure, 2 in the second), (3) chromatic descents, and (4) strong, thrilling bass chords for the last verse.

2. "The Young Man Asked His Maiden" states a question in a rhythmic minor which receives a sweet major-key reply interspersed with two more short, hesitant questions.

3. This "Spring Dance" has quite a different feeling from number 1. The spinning, cycling melody proceeds from quiet, sometimes sharp harmonies toward a wilder and abandoned double-speed coda.

5. The "Dance from Jølster" contains many coloristic effects, such as crystalline staccatos, offbeat accents, high treble woodwind-like parts, fast triplets over enthusiastic string-like open fifths, as well as extended endings, surprising sudden halts in the rhythm, and switches from duple to triple meter.

6. The "Wedding Tune" is a sweet, lyrical Allegretto pastorale which begins in C major and ends in A minor mixing happy and romantic (or, perhaps slight uncertainty about the future) emotions.

8. "Oh, the Pig Had a Snout" is a brief tune, in a combined comical and "cantabile" mood in G minor in triple meter.

9. "When My Eyes" is a touching spiritual song harmonized with beautiful modal harmonies.

10. "Ole Once in Anger" is a courting song with a jerky, drinking song rhythm to its wide-ranging minor-key melody that concludes in a deep, perhaps apologetic, baritone register.

12. "Solfager and the Snake King," played in a moody Andante tempo, has a haunting minor-key melody with "snaky" chromatics that tells a tale even without words.

14. "I Sing With a Sorrowful Heart" is introduced by a distant minor third echoed three times in the high treble. The warm, middle register melody then begins with that same interval harmonized in rich but almost funeral chords played at a piano dynamic. The coda suddenly sings forth in a compelling cry that quickly calms into a resigned minor cadence.

17. In "The Gadfly Said to the Fly," the first timid, thin-voiced (even insectile) statement is met with a full-voiced loud answer harmonized chromatically. The first voice inquires again twice, and the answers are more measured and simple.

21. The melody of "The Woman from Setesdal" is built on a simple two-measure rolling gesture that is treated as a very interesting imitative canon, the imitating voice sounding like a flute or birdsong in the higher registers.

23. "Did You See Anything of My Wife?" is a curious two-part song with a dotted, questioning, backbeat rhythm at the start, followed by quiet reply in longer tones and then a loud, aggressive version of that reply.

© All Music Guide