Morning

Description

Violin 1, Violin 2, Violin 3, Viola, Cello, Contrabass, Piano — Morning is one of Edvard Grieg’s most familiar melodies. Youngsters may recognize it from many cartoons that use it, along with chirping birds, to signal the dawn of a new day.The main theme repeats many times so I have tried to make each entrance different and interesting. The piece begins softly, crescendoing into the main theme at m.5. Violin I has the melody with support from the remaining strings through m. 28. At m. 29 the violas and cellos play the secondary melody. At m.41 the music modulates to G major with the violins returning to the main theme. Measure 49 features the violins and violas in threepart harmony in the middle register. In mm. 57 through 64 the piece modulates briefly to the key of C major. Here, the violins, violas and cellos are in four-part harmony with support from the bass. The key of D major returns at m. 70. Soaring violins state the melody in octaves with chordal support from the remaining strings. A decrescendo in m. 71 settles everything down. A brief quote from the main theme occurs in the violas in mm. 73–74 and in the cellos in mm. 75–76. The piece concludes on a soft tutti chord. With its perennial freshness,the lovely Morning, one of the best known excerpts from Grieg’s celebrated incidental music for Henrik Ibsen’s play, Peer Gynt, adapts well to string orchestra in this finely executed transcription by Roy Phillippe. Technical difficulty is carefully considered and all sections are able to play the memorable principal theme.