ABSTRACT
In the initial phrase of each verse the piano accompanies the voice in unison with a single note in each hand, yielding a folk-like simplicity of line. The middle verse, after the initial phrase, switches to the major mode, reflecting the light spirit of the page. In 1830, Hans Christian Andersen wrote a group of eight little love poems to Riborg Voigt, who was indeed attracted to him, but who eventually chose another. In the Grieg Committee’s edition of Grieg’s collected works, the interpretive marks written into Nina Grieg’s copy are printed in the Editorial Commentary. These marks are an invaluable guide to the interpretation of this song, as Nina sang it frequently with her husband at the piano, and it can be assumed that they are truly definitive. The tempo indication Allegro molto agitato and the ceaseless triplets in the piano’s right hand set the atmosphere of restless inner turmoil.
