When the Norwegian composer Christian Sinding introduced his young friend Frederick Delius (1862-1934) to Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) in Leipzig in 1887, it was to be a memorable occasion for each of them. Delius in particular was later to write of this first meeting with Grieg with great fondness and affection: 'I was very proud of having made his acquaintance, for since I was a little boy I had loved his music. I had as a child always been accustomed to Mozart and Beethoven and when I first heard Grieg it was as if a breath of mountain air had come to me.'. It was, for both men, the beginning of a long and deep personal friendship that, despite the inevitable vissitudes of time, survived until death was to claim each of them. Of all Grieg's English friends, Delius was by far the closest; and Grieg, in turn, played an important role in Delius's development both as a man and a composer. A contributory factor to their friendship was Delius's profound commitment to and interest in Norway even before he met Grieg. Throughout his life he was drawn to Norway's breathtaking landscape, its literature, its art and the character of its people. Much the larger part of many letters exchanged between Edvard and Nina Grieg and Frederick Delius, usually conducted in German, has remained unpublished until today. Now, for the first time, the entire correspondence, with the fascinating insights which it offers into some extraordinary lives, has been brought together and arranged in chronological order and widely commented upon. Dr Lionel Carley, adviser and archivist to the Delius Trust and author of four books on Delius, has thus created a biographical double portrait. As well as revealing a wealth ofopinions and comments upon the music and manners of their contemporaries and a varied discussion of the many problems involved in the labours of composition, Grieg and Delius offer a singular number of glimpses into their deep, and occasionally troubled, emotional lives. Delius often discussed his affaires de coeur with the Griegs - although probably more with Grieg's wife Nina than with Grieg himself. 'Rattling' was the Griegs' codeword for Delius's affairs and a 'rattlesnake' was the object of his attention; terms that mainly Nina would use in her role as the younger man's confidante and counsellor. Grieg's own complicated romantic life - and the occasionally rocky nature of his marriage to Nina - are also referred to, as is Christian Sinding's apparent preference for married women. The publication of Grieg and Delius, A Chronicle of Their Friendship in Letters is intended to make a contribution to the growing literature dedicated to a deeper understanding of the music of our age.

Contents: Anitra's Dance * Arab Dance * Ase's Death * Gynt's Homecoming * In the Hall of the Mountain King * Morning * Rape of Bride * Solveig's Song.

This volume brings together two early collections by Grieg to form an attractive first book of characterful piano pieces. The 'Lyric Pieces', published when the composer was 24, are amongst the easiest pieces Grieg wrote for the piano, and represent a conscious attempt to provide accessible and tuneful music for beginners.

An anthology for organ of 14 varied and colourful arrangements of pieces by Grieg. The volume contains a mixture of well-known pieces and new discoveries for use in recitals or as voluntaries in a church setting.

Contents: Album Leaf * Arietta * At Your Feet, Op. 68, No. 3 * Ballad, Op. 65, No. 5 * Bell Ringing, Op. 54, No. 6 * Berceuse * Brooklet, Op. 62, No. 4 * Butterfly, Op. 43, No. 1 * Cradle Song, Op. 68, No. 5 * Elegy, Op. 47, No. 7 * Elves' Dance, Op. 12, No. 4 * Erotik, Op. 43, No. 5 * Evening in Mountains, Op. 68 * French Serenade, Op. 62, No. 3 * From Early Years, Op. 65, No. 1 * Gade, Op. 57, No. 2 * Gone, Op. 71, No. 6 * Grandmother's Minuet, Op. 68, No. 2 * Gratitude, Op. 62, No. 2 * Halling, Op. 71, No. 5 * Halling, Op. 47, No. 4 * Home Sickness, Op. 57, No. 6 * Homeward, Op. 62, No. 6 * Illusion, Op. 57, No. 3 * In My Native Country, Op. 43, No. 3 * Little Bird, Op. 43, No. 4 * March of the Trolls, Op. 54, No. 3 * Melancholy, Op. 47, No. 5 * Melancholy Waltz, Op. 68, No. 6 * Melancholy, Op. 65, No. 3 * Melody, Op. 47, No. 3 * National Song * Norwegian March, Op. 54, No. 2 * Norwegian Melody, Op. 12, No. 6 * Notturno, Op. 54, No. 4 * Once Upon a Time, Op. 71, No. 1 * Peace of Woods, Op. 71, No. 4 * Peasant's Song, Op. 65, No. 2 * Phantom, Op. 62, No. 5 * Popular Melody * Puck, Op. 71, No. 3 * Remembrances, Op. 71, No. 7 * Sailor's Song, Op. 68, No. 1 * Salon, Op. 65, No. 4 * Scherzo, Op. 54, No. 5 * Secret, Op. 57, No. 4 * She Dances, Op. 57, No. 5 * Shepherd's Boy, Op.54, No. 1 * Solitary Traveller, Op. 43, No. 2 * Song of the Watchman * To Spring (An Den Fruhling), Op. 43, No. 6 * Spring Dance * Summer Evening, Op. 71, No. 2 * Sylph, Op. 62, No. 1 * Valse-Impromptu, Op. 47 * Vanished Days, Op. 57, No. 1 * Waltz, Op. 12, No. 2 * Waltz, Op. 38, No. 7 * Wedding Day at Troldhaugen, Op. 65, No. 6.

Grieg's Thirty-eight Pianoforte Pieces are published as part of ABRSM's 'Signature' Series - a series of authoritative performing editions of standard keyboard works, prepared from original sources by leading scholars. Includes informative introductions and performance notes.

Edvard Grieg 23 Little Piano Pieces EG104 (1858-1859) A selection of short pieces for solo piano. First published in 1859, these early pieces by Norway's most celebrated composer offer an insight into the beginnings of his style.