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The short answer
A tiny opening to a book that found a lasting audience. Arietta, Lyric Pieces Op. 12 No. 1 is a character piece by Edvard Grieg from the Romantic era. PlayPiano puts it at Level 5, an estimate.
- character piece
- Romantic
- Key of E-flat major
- gentle
- melancholic
- broken chords
- voicing
History
Arietta opens Grieg's first Lyric Pieces book. The preface places its first Hornemann publication in Copenhagen at approximately 1867, with a German Peters edition following in 1874. In a letter dated 21 May 1886, publisher Max Abraham described Op. 12 as Grieg's most popular work. That is a historical collection-level opinion, not a claim that Arietta is today's highest-ranked Grieg piece.
Sources
What to listen for
Repeated notes receive a related answer
The repeated-note opening is answered by a related contour. Hear its singing shape across the repeated sounds.
A moving contrast reaches a lower response
The contrasting contour becomes more mobile before its lower answer. Compare that movement with the compact opening.
The lower continuation changes before a recall
A changed lower phrase leads into a recalled response. Listen for the relationship between its new direction and the familiar gesture.
The opening gesture becomes the final close
A single opening-related gesture ends the piece. Hear its familiarity as the completion of the preceding phrase.
How to practise it
Keep the repeated melody prominent above the cross-staff moving figure.
- Make repeated melodic notes sound like a line.
- Keep the moving inner voice supportive.
- Preserve the tied bass through changes above it.
How hard is it
The inspected opening combines repeated upper notes, faster accompanying figures and held bass. Balancing these layers makes this a more demanding target than its short length suggests.
About this piece
- Collection
- Small scenes, big imagination
- Licence
- CC0
- Source
- musescore.com
More by Edvard Grieg
- Wedding Day at Troldhaugen, Op. 65 No. 6Level 8, estimatedWith Maestro
- Troldtog (March of the Dwarfs)Level 8, estimatedWith Maestro
