AGATHE BACKER GRØNDAHL (1847-1907): Complete Piano Music, Vol. 1 - Norwegian Folktunes and Folkdances, Op. 30 and Op. 33.
Catalogue Number: 11J066
Label: Arena
Reference: AR 06007
Format: CD
Price: $10.98
Description: Often compared to Clara Schumann for her pianistic abilities, her composing facility and for her representation of her sex in a male-dominated culture, Backer Grøndahl studied both at home in Norway (with Halfdan Hjerulf among others) and abroad in Berlin (Bülow, and she also played for Liszt), adopting a style on the moderate side of German Romanticism (Schumann, Brahms). Her piano pieces (of which she wrote around 150) are characterized by a strong, poetic expressivity, melodic charm, and a refined tonality combined with precision, clarity and control (no wild heaven-storming Romanticism here!). NOTE: This is a 28-minute disc but is priced the same as the full-length discs below. I'm selling it at cost because things like this shouldn't happen! Natalia Strelchenko (piano).