Johannes Weisser is among the foremost young baritones on the European stage today, and particularly celebrated for his recent recording Of Mozart’s Don Giovanni with conductor René Jacobs. On this his debut solo recording entitled “Visiting Grieg” he performs the songs of his fellow Norwegian, including “Melodies of the Heart”, op. 5, “Romances and Songs”, op. 18, and “12 Melodies”, op. 33.

Edvard Grieg believed strongly that the most important element in setting music to the words of great writers was to convey the spirit behind the text, and he achieved this aim at the outset of his career with his first set of songs entitled “Melodies of the Heart” which incorporates the poetry of Hans Christian Andersen. Also featured on this hybrid SACD are songs to lyrics by O.A. Vinje, a writer who was a major inspiration to Grieg, and many of the composer’s best songs including “The Last Spring” and “The Wounded Heart” are from the collection called “12 Melodies”.

Born in 1980, Johannes Weisser made his debut at the Norwegian Opera at the age of 23. These days he performs at the Théâtre de La Monnaie in Brussels, Royal Danish Opera, Komische Oper Berlin, and the Salzburg Festival. He has collaborated with many of the leading conductors of our time, including René Jacobs, Fabio Biondi, Rinaldo Alessandrini, and Philippe Herreweghe.