Music of the Day, 24 December 2024

reframing a lovely piece

Best I can remember, from an early age it was important to me to be able to try to see things from another’s perspective. Healthy communication—especially of emotions—was just not a thing in my family, nor in either of my parents’ families. Having to guess at others’ emotional states all the time was stressful. I grew up not being very good at communicating,¹ but wanting to improve.

I’m sure I learned the technique of reframing long before I encountered the word; it’s become a powerful tool for me. And I do think I’m fairly adept at reframing. It’s important for understanding other people and empathizing with them.

I’ve been in a contemplative mood for the past few days and decided to indulge it musically² today. I knew whose music I wanted to listen to, but not really knowing his catalog well, I didn’t have a specific piece in mind. So I went browsing on YouTube and found a beautiful performance.

This is Edvard Grieg’s Lyric Pieces Op. 43, no. 5, Erotik. Grieg composed it for the piano, and until today that’s the only way I’d heard it. Canadian luthier René Wilhelmy transcribed it for classical guitar, and is performing it on a guitar he created.

In so doing, he’s completely reframed the piece for me. The gentleness of his fingers strumming and plucking the strings of his guitar plus Wilhelmy’s deft use of rubato give Erotik a sensuality I don’t remember hearing in the piano performances. Listening to this performance by Chris Breemer for comparison,³ the bass line isn’t emphasized nearly as much by Wilhelmy. I’m surprised to say that I don’t miss it.

I can’t recall the first time I heard something by Grieg,⁴ so I don’t know how it affected me. I grew up listening to a decent variety of classical music and explored more on my own. Somewhere in there I discovered Grieg’s Lyric Pieces, along with his longer compositions, and was smitten.

More often than not, when I’m in the mood for a Romantic piece, I turn to Grieg first … and am not disappointed. And now my musical world can expand further via transcriptions of his music for other instruments. What an unexpected gift to stumble on today.

1. shocking, innit?

2. and also to get the stupid “Frosty the Snowman” song outta my head and my fingers

3. it’s the one I have in my music library

4. almost certainly either “Morning Mood” or “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from his Peer Gynt Suite No. 1