Notturno in C major, Op. 54, No. 4

The Notturno is the fourth piece in Book V of Grieg's Lyric Pieces, composed between 1889 and 1891 and published in 1891. At around four minutes, it is structured in three sections: a slow, softly layered opening in C major, a more animated middle passage, and a return of the opening material. Four of the six pieces from this book, including the Notturno, were later reworked into the orchestral Lyric Suite.

What to listen for

The opening section sets a melody in the right hand against a pattern that places triplets and duplets in the same beat, a rhythmic friction that can give the music a gently suspended quality, as if the pulse is slightly out of focus. When the faster middle section arrives, the texture thickens and the rhythmic energy sharpens, making the return of the quiet opening all the more noticeable by contrast. Listeners attuned to the harmonic language of Satie's Gymnopédies may find a similar quality here: a diatonic melody held above an accompaniment whose inner voice movements create mild, unresolved colour.

Recommended rendition

Emil Gilels's recording of selected Lyric Pieces is often cited for the clarity and restraint he brings to Grieg's smaller piano works.

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