Poetic Tone-Pictures, Op. 3

Grieg was 20 years old when he composed this work (1863). He was staying in Copenhagen, Denmark, and it was published by Horneman & Co. in Copenhagen. It is dedicated to Benjamin Feddersen (1823–1902), a Danish writer and Grieg's artistic colleague. This collection, titled “Poetic Tone-Pictures,” does not concretely depict anything. Therefore, it can be said that imagination is required from the performer.

• No. 1: Allegro ma non troppo. In this piece, in 3/8 time, the accent placed on the second beat is characteristic. This is thought to originate from Norwegian folk dance. Furthermore, the occasional augmented fourth adds a certain spice to this piece. Overall, this piece requires a bass line with stepwise motion and phrasing that pays attention to the placement of slurs.
• No. 2: Allegro cantabile. It is a beautiful piece with a duet sung by the upper and lower voices.
• No. 3: Con moto. This is a Norwegian burlesque. The rhythms, which display diverse characteristics, play an important role.
• No. 4: Andante con sentimento. It possesses the character of a nocturne and is consistently shaped by arpeggiated chords throughout.
• No. 5: Allegro moderato. This piece is reminiscent of the Halling, a type of Norwegian folk dance (typically a vigorous solo dance performed by men). The sounds of fifths and augmented fourths are characteristic.
• No. 6: Allegro scherzando. The chromatic melodic movement is characteristic. It also has the character of a perpetuum mobile.