Earlier this year around May, I went to one of my friend’s senior piano recital and watched her perform some pieces by classical composers, however one of them has stuck with me since that day. The song Notturno Op.54, No, 4, by Edvard Grieg, a Norwegian composer, was and still is one of the most beautiful songs I have heard performed. The reason I like it so much is because it is really calming and it steadily increases in strength and tempo, but eventually slows down and goes back to being soothing and calm. I imagine this song as if it were describing a place sometime in the fall because the high trills and also the contrast of low and high chords make the higher notes stand out more, almost as if it was chilly, yet the lower notes produce a warm feel. Listening to this song takes me back to being in the concert hall being completely surrounded by the music and just coming to the realization that my friend was capable and talented enough of producing such a beautiful melody. When later looking at the sheet music, I saw that it was not too difficult to learn; I also saw that the way that it was written was also very nice and not as overwhelming as other piano compositions that I have played. When I began playing it myself, it felt really calming, I was instantly transported to the day of the concert as well as that imaginary fall scene that I have correlated with it. In all, this song to me is almost surreal because it isn’t sad, or happy, but a mixture of both and none at the same time; it is a calming song that can transport one to another world, while remaining in this one too.
