Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) usually gave the traditional musical forms a wide birth, seeking to express himself in lyrical images and with rhapsodic freedom. The Cello Sonata of 1883 was commissioned by the Leipzig music publisher Peters, but Grieg found more personal motivation by dedicating it to his cellist brother John. The premiere performance was given by John's teacher, the famous cellist and composer Julius Klengel, with Edvard at the keyboard. Along with the Piano Concerto and the third Violin Sonata, the Cello Sonata is one of Grieg's most full-blooded works. Yet instead of classical balance, Grieg aimed at seething emotional expression -- passions reflected in both extremes of tempo and radiant, singing themes and folk song motifs. Edvard Grieg composed the Cello Sonata in A minor, Op. 36 for cello and piano, his largest chamber work, (and his only work for this combination) in 1882–83, marking a return to composition following a period when he had been preoccupied with his conducting duties at the Bergen Symphony Orchestra as well as illness. WIKIPEDIA
VIDEO: Anastasia Injushina piano, Jian Wang cello
