Ave Maris Stella - Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)

Ave Maris Stella by Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) is a Romantic piece that sets an age-old text to the newer Romantic style. Grieg was a composer who was raised in a musical family, beginning piano at the age of six, taught by his mother. Grieg struggled with health issues his entire life, mostly related to his two lung diseases and spinal deformity. Known mostly for his Peer Gynt Suite, Grieg was an accomplished composer in orchestral and choral music. While there is not a lot of information on Ave Maris Stella, it is nevertheless a piece that is designed to enrapture audiences through its dense harmonies and extensive voicing.

The piece’s text would normally be sung at a Vesper service, translating roughly as a praise to Mary and a rejoicing in the birth of Jesus. The piece has many considerations when conducting. One must consider their choir's capabilities, as at times it extends to as many as eight parts, with consistent five-part textures. Vocal ranges should be another consideration, as many of the tenor/soprano parts sit higher in the ranges of their respective parts, with the voices occasionally extending into G and G#, which can be quite uncomfortable for younger choirs to consistently and comfortably sing. However, the piece has an ethereal quality, rarely carrying any weight, and should be conducted as such. Once learned, it is written in a way that the initial A section returns with modifications after a brief B section. Both A sections have sudden changes to tonicize the mediant key, so considerations should be made to the ensemble’s capabilities with harmonic shifts. It is available in the public domain, as well as through the Oxford University Press.