Edvard Grieg: Jeg elsker dig (I love you / Ich liebe dich)

"Thought of my thoughts alone have you become"

The thought of being so in love with someone that you want to be near them into eternity is quite romantic, so romantic, in fact, that once Grieg set Hans Christian Andersen’s poem Jeg elsker dig to music, it soon had multiple singing translations in German, English, and other languages (I have located numerous editions, all widely published and performed, with no less than two in German and five in English!) The song was included in the 1944 operetta Song of Norway by Robert Wright and George Forrest.

• Streaming recordings
  • in Danish (Barbara Hendricks) – last.fm
  • in Danish (Lauritz Melchior) – YouTube (at 1:28)
  • in German (Kirsten Flagstad) – last.fm
  • in German (Sumi Jo) – YouTube
  • in English, from Song of Norway (Helena Bliss) – last.fm
  • in English (Nelson Eddy) – YouTube
• Text (Hans Christian Andersen) & Translation – recmusic.org
• Scores (Op. 5 page) – IMSLP
  • Original Danish Text
  • Original Danish Text (Grieg’s Manuscript!)
  • English & German Translation
  • German Translation (with added second verse)
• Article on Song of Norway – Wikipedia

Edvard Grieg: En svane (A swan)

"Du sang i døden"

The mute swan, it is said, sings only before it is about to die. Grieg crafts a song that captures the swans grace and beauty in life, and the drama of its swan-song.

• Streaming Audio
  • Audio (Jussi Bjorling) – last.fm
  • Video (Håken Hagegård) – YouTube
  • Video (Birgit Nilsson) – YouTube
• Text (Henrik Ibsen) – Recmusic.org
• Score – IMSLP
• Article – Answers.com