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Jazz Impressions of Peer Gynt album cover

Album guide

Jazz Impressions of Peer Gynt

Trio

Composer
Grieg
Released
2016
Label
Flying Rabbit
Forces
Piano, Trio
Personnel
Denny Berthiaume piano, Mickey McPhillips acoustic bass, Rob Gibson drums

Pianist and arranger Denny Berthiaume has always divided his time between music and words. Alongside a long jazz career, he taught literature and wrote plays. Jazz Impressions of Peer Gynt brings those lives together, recasting Grieg’s incidental music for a jazz trio while keeping Ibsen’s drama in view.

The first disc presents ten performances drawn from the score. The second follows the same sequence with spoken storytelling introducing the music. It is an unusual double portrait: Grieg’s best-known melodies can stand alone as jazz pieces, then return to their original role as episodes in Peer Gynt’s journey.

Hear both

The classical side contains only the source pieces used on the album, in album order. The jazz side presents the complete album whenever a dependable copy can be embedded.

The originalsGrieg · classical source works

The classical player covers all twenty tracks with the source sequence used on disc one and repeated beneath the spoken introductions on disc two; Ingrid’s Lament also serves Mister PG, while The Death of Åse also serves the bonus performance, so those recordings each appear at four positions across the two discs.

Jazzed upTrio · 2016
Open full album in Spotify

Spotify’s player is here for convenience; the full track listing below remains available to everyone.

Source works

The album’s complete track listing, with each classical source identified and original compositions marked plainly.

  1. Ingrid’s LamentPeer Gynt, Op. 23: Prelude to Act II, ‘The Abduction of the Bride’ and ‘Ingrid’s Lament’ (Suite No. 2, Op. 55 No. 1)
  2. In the Hall of the Mountain KingPeer Gynt, Op. 23: In the Hall of the Mountain King (Suite No. 1, Op. 46 No. 4)
  3. Ase’s DeathPeer Gynt, Op. 23: The Death of Åse (Suite No. 1, Op. 46 No. 2)
  4. Morning MoodPeer Gynt, Op. 23: Prelude to Act IV, Morning Mood (Suite No. 1, Op. 46 No. 1)
  5. Anitra’s DancePeer Gynt, Op. 23: Anitra’s Dance (Suite No. 1, Op. 46 No. 3)
  6. Solveig’s SongPeer Gynt, Op. 23: Solveig’s Song (Suite No. 2, Op. 55 No. 4)
  7. Whitsun HymnPeer Gynt, Op. 23, Act V: Whitsun Hymn, ‘O Blessed Morning’
  8. Solveig’s LullabyPeer Gynt, Op. 23, Act V: Solveig’s Cradle Song
  9. Mister PGPeer Gynt, Op. 23: Prelude to Act II, ‘The Abduction of the Bride’ and ‘Ingrid’s Lament’ (Suite No. 2, Op. 55 No. 1)
  10. Bonus Track Ase’s DeathPeer Gynt, Op. 23: The Death of Åse (Suite No. 1, Op. 46 No. 2)
  11. Narration Ingrid’s LamentPeer Gynt, Op. 23: Prelude to Act II, ‘The Abduction of the Bride’ and ‘Ingrid’s Lament’ (Suite No. 2, Op. 55 No. 1)
  12. Narration in the Hall of the Mountain KingPeer Gynt, Op. 23: In the Hall of the Mountain King (Suite No. 1, Op. 46 No. 4)
  13. Narration Ase’s DeathPeer Gynt, Op. 23: The Death of Åse (Suite No. 1, Op. 46 No. 2)
  14. Narration Morning MoodPeer Gynt, Op. 23: Prelude to Act IV, Morning Mood (Suite No. 1, Op. 46 No. 1)
  15. Narration Anitra’s DancePeer Gynt, Op. 23: Anitra’s Dance (Suite No. 1, Op. 46 No. 3)
  16. Narration Solveig’s SongPeer Gynt, Op. 23: Solveig’s Song (Suite No. 2, Op. 55 No. 4)
  17. Narration Whitsun HymnPeer Gynt, Op. 23, Act V: Whitsun Hymn, ‘O Blessed Morning’
  18. Narration Solveig’s LullabyPeer Gynt, Op. 23, Act V: Solveig’s Cradle Song
  19. Narration Mister PGPeer Gynt, Op. 23: Prelude to Act II, ‘The Abduction of the Bride’ and ‘Ingrid’s Lament’ (Suite No. 2, Op. 55 No. 1)
  20. Narration Bonus Track Ase’s DeathPeer Gynt, Op. 23: The Death of Åse (Suite No. 1, Op. 46 No. 2)