Romantic Expression Through Scholarship with Ziad Kreidy's Latest Grieg Recordings

Sounds from the Studio by Joseph John L. Verallo  |  November 14, 2025

Throughout history, there has seemingly always been a rigid distinction between the scholar and the artist, between intellect and emotion. The pianist, composer, and musicologist Ziad Kreidy challenges this popular distinction with his latest work, a recording featuring Grieg’s Lyric Pieces, Opp. 65, 68, and 71, as it has rarely been performed in this day and age.

A unique aspect of Kreidy’s identity as a performer and recording artist is his exploration of various performance modalities, from adopting unorthodox tuning systems to performing on rare, historic pianos, all of which are informed choices from his profession as a musicologist. To date, he is as much a performer as he is an academic, performing in several countries and holding various academic positions in institutions like the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional de Versailles, the Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, and many more.

Touching on the mutualism between his scholarship and artistry, Kreidy stated: “My musicological research and artistic practice are inseparable. Historical knowledge informs my interpretive choices, while my experience as a performer keeps my scholarship grounded in musical reality.” 

For Kreidy, a wealth of artistic potential lies behind a musicological awareness. “This awareness allows me to question habits that modern pianists often take for granted and to reconnect with the diversity of past aesthetics. For me, musicology is not separate from performance; it enriches it. It helps me listen differently, make more informed artistic choices, and give new life to works we think we already know.” 

In his latest album, Kreidy envisions these potentialities with Grieg’s Lyric Pieces, Opp. 65, 68, and 71. Earlier this year, in July, he recorded the composer’s Opp. 12, 38, 43, and 47 on a rare 1867 Érard upright piano, which gave off a deeply intimate tone alongside an already beautiful performance.

In his upcoming release, Kreidy extends his earlier project, this time recording on three different upright pianos: a Rönisch (1915), a Feurich (1918), and a Steinway (1924). The recording took place in Claude Baudry’s workshop in the Paris region. Care and consistency were taken to bring out the individuality of each of the pianos, all being tuned according to Neidhardt’s unequal temperament Für eine große Stadt.

Kreidy’s use of upright pianos is informed and deliberate. “Choosing uprights was also a way to recreate the atmosphere of the composer’s own creative process, working alone at home, as many late-19th-century composers did.” He stated.

As moderns, we tend to underestimate the historical significance of uprights, the musicologist explained. “These upright pianos were not secondary instruments at the time. They stood in salons, conservatories, and homes, where much of Grieg’s music was actually played. Using them brings back the sense of intimacy that his Lyric Pieces express so naturally.”

Indeed, Kreidy’s sound takes one back in time; one could almost imagine sitting in an old living room, listening to the intimate performance of a household member.

The pianist’s recordings convey a raw sound, contrary to the polished tone we have learned to expect, especially with the predominance of grand pianos in concerts and in recordings. Kreidy’s artistry lies in finding beauty in what would be considered unappealing today. “In art, quality and flaw are often synonymous, depending on the approach. What we call a flaw, when properly understood and used, can become a source of inspiration.” The pianist beautifully put it.

One significant example in his upcoming album is his use of unequal temperament, which had slowly been abandoned in favor of a standardized tuning system after the First World War, Kreidy explained. “With this album, I wanted to revive these forgotten sound worlds and offer a new perspective on Romantic piano music. Combining rare upright pianos with this tuning system lets the music breathe with renewed intimacy, freed from standardization.”

The result of employing an unequal temperament on Grieg makes just a subtle difference, yet one that simultaneously creates a wholly foreign sound. Kreidy’s explorations with tuning and timbre add a deeper, more quaint sentimentality to Grieg's picturesque pieces.

You can learn more about Ziad Kreidy and his works through his website.