Four Norwegian Dances

4 Norwegian Dances
Composed by Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)
Arranged for Woodwind Quintet by Harry Stanton
Published by Alry Publications
Includes score and parts

      These Norwegian Dances were composed in the summer of 1881 while Grieg was visiting Norway's scenic west coast fjords. The dances are built on and fleshed out from a collection of Norwegian folk music by L M Lindeman but much of the middle section material was composed by Grieg.
      No. 1 is based on the Sinclair March from Vaga.
      No. 2 is the well-known melody that we associate with Norwegian music. It is a “halling” from the Osterdal valley. 
      No. 3 is another “halling” where Grieg transformed the melody to be twice as fast as the original.
      No. 4 is the most elaborate of the four dances and has been described as symphonic in nature. 
– Harry Stanton