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Hailed by George Bernard Shaw as one of the 19th century's greatest virtuoso pianists, Agathe Backer Grøndahl was also a pioneer among women composers, juggling marriage, motherhood and an extensive career. She was taught by Liszt in Weimar, and as one of Norway's most respected composer-pianists, created a large body of work that displays colorful stylistic variety and poetic breadth. The beautiful Sérénade from Trois Morceaux, Op. 15 may well be Backer Grøndahl's most popular piano composition, but her concert études are virtuoso masterpieces - the folk-tune arrangements drawn from her Op. 30 and Op. 33 sets illustrate her perceptive absorption of her country's folk music. The remarkable fairy-tale suite I blaafjellet, Op. 44 is possibly the first impressionist piece by a Norwegian composer. Album Tracks 1. Suite, Op. 20~I. Prélude 2. 3 Morceaux, Op. 15~I. Sérénade 3. Études de concert, Op. 57/1 4. Norske folkeviser og folkedanse, Op. 30~I. Brudeslaat (Lom?) 5. 6 Idylles, Op. 24~I. Allegretto leggiero 6. Norske folkeviser og folkedanse, Op. 30~IX. Siklebækken (Møllargutten) 7. Norske folkeviser og folkedanse, Op. 30~X. Kivlemöyerne (Møllargutten) 8. Norske folkeviser og folkedanse, Op. 30~XI. Fanitullen (Møllargutten) 9. 6 Idylles, Op. 24~V. Allegretto tranquillo 10. 6 Fantasistykker. Barnlige Billeder, Op. 66~I. Ride, ride ranke 11. Norske folkeviser og folkedanse behandlede, Op. 33~III. Laat i Fjellet 12. 3 Ungarske studier (Three Hungarian Studies), Op. 38~II. Intermezzo 13. Fantasistykker for Piano, 2den Samling, Op. 39~Hefte I I. Souvenir 14. Norske folkeviser og folkedanse, Op. 33~VIII. Bruralaat (Valdres) 15. 4 Skizzer (Sketches), Op. 19~I. Allegretto leggiero 16. Norske folkeviser og folkedanse Behandlede, Op. 33~I. Halling 17. Smaa fantasistykker for Piano, 4de Samling, Op. 55~IV. Et Farvel 18. Norske folkeviser og f
