Selected and Reviewed by Andrew Eales
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Mike Cornick is perhaps best known for his contributions to the repertoire of jazz-styled solo, duet and ensemble music, and I have previously reviewed several of his publications, all of which are available from Universal Edition.
Cornick’s more recent duet collections have steered towards arrangements of popular classics, and the latest continues this trend.
Mike Cornick’s Grieg Favourites is a sequel to the earlier Elgar Favourites collection, reviewed here, and offers an inspiring selection of new arrangements that are suitable for players around UK Grades 4-7 level, and which are sure to engage performers and their audience alike.
Favourite melodies…
As I noted in my recent review of Edition Peters’ Grieg: A Piano Treasury, Norway’s most famous composer had a very special gift for melody. And with relatively simple textures, but steeped in lovely chromaticisms, Grieg’s music is ripe for the sort of piano duet transcriptions on offer here.
Indeed, Grieg was a fan of making piano solo and duet arrangements of his orchestral works for the domestic market (and vice-versa, orchestrating some of his most popular piano pieces). I would certainly like to imagine that, were he alive today, he would give Cornick the thumbs up for his work here.
Introducing the collection, Cornick writes,
“We usually think of the Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) as a nationalist and romantic composer in equal measure. Certainly , both stylistic aspects are evident in this selection, ranging from the subtle chromaticism and expressive melodic writing of his Elegiac Melodies to the exotic excitement of Anitra’s Dance.”
The full list of titles selected for the Cornick treatment is:
- Theme from Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.16, 2nd movement
- Two Elegiac Melodies Op.34:
No.1: The Wonded Heart
No.2: Last Spring - Solveig’s Song (from Peer Gynt Suite No.2)
- Arietta (from Lyric Pieces Op.12/1)
- Remembrances (from Lyric Pieces Op.71/7)
- Anitra’s Dance (from Peer Gynt Suite No.1)
…tastefully arranged
Those familiar with Grieg’s music will immediately spot that Cornick has largely opted for the slower pieces with their arching melodic lines and aching harmonic interest, and indeed these prove eminently suited to his deft arrangement style.
As in his earlier Elgar Favourites book, Cornick has stuck commendably close to the original pieces, honouring the composer’s intentions while creating pieces that work marvellously for one piano four hands.
In common with most of Cornick’s duet books, the difficulty level hovers at around late intermediate. This makes the collection ideal for more advanced adults wishing to enjoy playing together with little practice or rehearsal, while also appealing for players around Grade 5-6 level looking for duet material they can perform in classes and concerts.
The score itself is in Universal Edition’s superb house style, with a gloss card cover, soft ivory coloured paper within, the 32 pages staple bound. Following the short preface and contents pages, the music is clearly and spaciously engraved. Secondo and Primo are printed on facing pages, and the numbers of bars per line match, for ease of communication between players. Ample fingering suggestions are included.
As with all of Cornick’s music collections, I can’t help feeling they would more quickly fly off the shelves were Universal Edition to give them a slightly more penny conscious price tag.
Nevertheless, Mike Cornick’s Grieg Favourites is a very easy recommendation, and a lovely addition to his extensive catalogue of piano duet repertoire.
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