Slatter

The Slåtter Op. 72, composed by Grieg in 1902, are free transcriptions of Norwegian peasant dances (Slåt being the general native name for such a peasant dance). The original melodies, handed down through many generations of native musicians, were usually played on the so-called Hardanger fiddle, a special kind of violin widely in use in the southern Norwegian region Hardanger. They were first collected and penned down by Grieg's fellow composer Johan Halvorsen, then masterfullly adapted for the piano by Grieg. In these little-known works, Grieg manages to create totally idiomatic and pianistic pieces while still retaining the folksy, fiddle-like character of these dances.