The melodies, harmonies, moods, and rhythms of Norwegian folk songs and dances — even the sounds of old Norwegian folk instruments — inspired and filled the music of Edvard Grieg. These distinctive influences combined with the composer's deeply poetic nature and sensitive pianistic craft to produce a rich treasury of short compositions for piano.Eighty of the best of these pieces have been selected for this outstanding collection. Among them are the well-known Four Norwegian Dances, Op, 35, the Scenes of Country Life, Op. 19, and the Ballade, Op. 24. Here, too, are the much-admired Slatter, Norwegian peasant dances Grieg arranged for piano from transcripts of country fiddle-playing, and music from two major stage works, Olav Trygvason and Sigurd Jorsalfar.Complete contents are 25 Norwegian Folk Songs and Dances, Op. 17; Scenes of Country Life, Op. 19; Ballade in the Form of Variations on a Norwegian Folk Song, Op. 24; Improvisata on Norwegian Folk Tunes, Op. 29; Four Norwegian Dances, arr. of Op. 35; Valses-Caprices, arr. of Op. 37; Prayer and Temple Dance from Olav Trygvason, arr. from Op. 50; Three Orchestral Pieces from Sigurd Jorsalfar, arr. from Op. 56; Two Nordic Melodies, arr. of Op. 63; 19 Norwegian Folk Tunes, Op. 66; and Slatter (Norwegian Peasant Dances). Op. 72.The lasting appeal of these compositions has made them among Grieg's most admired and performed works. They are reprinted here fro