Composer: Edvard Grieg
Works: What Price Immortality? (film), Ballade, String Quartet
Performers: Staffan Scheja (piano), Philip Branmer (boy Grieg), Claudia Zöhner (Nina Hagerup), Lasse Kolsrud (John Grieg), Haakon Rasmosser (Rikard Nordraak), Sabine Oberhorner (painter), Michael Baral (voice), Auryn Quartet
Recording: Arthaus Musik DVD Video 100 236
Label: Arthaus Musik
Edvard Grieg stands as a pivotal figure in the Romantic era, his music imbued with the essence of Norway’s landscapes and folk traditions. “What Price Immortality?” directed by Thomas Olofsson, seeks to capture the vicissitudes of Grieg’s life through a cinematic lens, intertwining biographical elements with his deeply personal compositions. The film utilizes Grieg’s Ballade and String Quartet not merely as a backdrop but as a narrative vehicle that expresses the emotional texture of his experiences, providing a poignant exploration of the artist’s psyche.
The performance of Staffan Scheja as the elder Grieg is noteworthy, impressively conveying the composer’s internal struggles through silent acting. His nuanced portrayal, juxtaposed against Philip Branmer’s youthful depiction, creates a compelling duality that reflects the evolution of Grieg’s character. The film’s choice to shun extensive dialogue, opting instead for sparse whispers from the off-screen voice of Derek Jacobi, presents a double-edged sword. While this decision fosters a meditative atmosphere, it often leaves viewers grappling with the narrative’s coherence. The fleeting appearances of significant contemporaries, such as Tchaikovsky and Liszt, add layers to the historical context but risk alienating the audience due to their lack of explanation.
Musically, Scheja’s interpretation of the Ballade is compelling, with a delicate balance between lyricism and the underlying turbulence that characterizes much of Grieg’s oeuvre. The emotional peaks and valleys mirror the tumultuous events depicted on screen, effectively drawing the viewer into Grieg’s world. The Auryn Quartet’s performance of the String Quartet further complements this narrative, their attention to dynamic contrasts and textural clarity enhancing the film’s emotional landscape. However, the transitions between musical segments and visual storytelling occasionally feel disjointed, suggesting a need for tighter integration to fully realize the potential of both mediums.
The technical aspects of the recording are commendable, with high-quality sound engineering that allows the nuances of the piano and string performances to resonate beautifully. The rich timbral palette of the instruments is captured with clarity, creating an immersive listening experience. Nevertheless, the film’s visual elements, while stunningly picturesque, sometimes overshadow the musical content, steering focus away from the profound emotional undercurrents that Grieg’s music embodies.
As an artistic endeavor, “What Price Immortality?” provides a visually rich yet conceptually ambiguous portrait of Edvard Grieg. The film’s ambitious attempt to marry music with biographical narrative is commendable, though it ultimately leaves a sense of incompleteness. While the performances are robust and the musical selections thoughtfully chosen, the lack of narrative clarity and contextual grounding detracts from the overall impact. A more cohesive integration of music and story would have elevated this exploration of a life marked by both creativity and grief. The film stands as a testament to Grieg’s enduring legacy, yet it simultaneously reflects a life and art that remain, regrettably, fractured.
