Åse's Death (Peer Gynt), Op. 46 No. 2
Åse's Death, from Grieg's music for Ibsen's Peer Gynt and the second movement of the Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46, is a slow lament in B minor, Octotune grade 5 of 8: one short phrase, repeated and slowly transformed, in full chords.
At a glance
| Composer | Edvard Grieg (1843–1907) |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Intermediate: grade 5 of 8 |
| Key | Key signature: 2 sharps (F♯, C♯) |
| Time | 4/4 |
| Tempo | 50 quarter-note beats a minute, as the app starts it (it can go slower) |
| Length | 45 measures, about 3:36 |
| Hands | both hands |
| Right hand | C4 to B5 |
| Left hand | F♯1 to B3 |
It reaches past the staff: see ledger lines explained.
Levels in the app
| Version | Grade | Levels |
|---|---|---|
| Åse's Death (Peer Gynt), Op. 46 No. 2 | 5 of 8 | Melody, Melody and bass, Full |
Practice notes
Edvard Grieg wrote music for Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt, first staged in 1876, and later gathered some of it into two orchestral suites. Åse's Death is the second movement of Suite No. 1, Op. 46: the music for the death of Peer's mother, Åse. First written for strings, it is played here on the piano.
How it is built. It is slow, quiet and in B minor (two sharps). The whole piece grows from one short phrase that rises a step or two and sinks back. The phrase is repeated again and again, climbing higher and growing louder, then sinking and fading. Both hands play chords, the right hand in the middle of the keyboard, the left hand reaching down to very low bass notes.
The tricky parts
- Chords with accidentals. As the phrase moves through new harmonies, sharps and naturals come thick. Read each chord from the bottom up.
- A wide left hand. Low bass notes, far below the staff, with chords above them. Look ahead to each bass note.
- Soft, even chords. Every note of a chord together, and quiet. Hold each one for its full length.
- The long line. Shape the whole piece: the swell to the loudest point, then the long fade.
Practice plan
- The top line alone with the Melody level, to hear the phrase.
- Each hand alone at the Full level in Wait for me, which waits for every note of each chord.
- Both hands, slowly, with Loop this measure on the thickest chords.
Before you start: Octotune's path through Unit 11, which teaches chords. The accidentals and the lowest bass notes go well beyond it. Also by Grieg: In the Hall of the Mountain King, from the same suite.
Questions
Is Åse's Death hard on the piano?
It is an early-intermediate piece, Octotune grade 5 of 8. It is slow, but written in full chords, with a wide left hand and many accidentals; the work is reading the chords and playing them softly and evenly.
What is Åse's Death from?
From Grieg's music for Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt. Åse is Peer's mother, and this music goes with her death. It is the second movement of the Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Op. 46.
Credits and license
- Music: Edvard Grieg (1843–1907)
- Typeset by Deborah Lowrey for the Mutopia Project
- License: Public Domain
- Source and printable sheet music: the Mutopia Project’s page for this piece