Grieg: March of the Dwarfs [Alf:00-6398]

From Grieg's "Lyric Pieces," Op. 54, this well-known and descriptive 1891 composition was written after the composer's trip to the Jotunheimen mountains in Norway, and is meant to portray mystical nocturnal creatures swarming about "with much boisterous activity." Written in D minor, the dynamic tone painting ranges from a whisper all the way up to a thunderous marching chorus of multitudes of marching dwarves, contrasted by a peaceful, idyllic and folksong-like middle section.