The dazzlingly orchestrated Symphonic Dances by Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) were composed in 1896-8. This was a time when many European composers looked to their respective folk traditions in the search for a distinctive national style (examples include Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsodies and Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances). Grieg’s Symphonic Dances are no exception, all four being based upon Norwegian folk melodies. The lively opening movement (Allegro moderato e marcato) is based upon a ‘halling’, a dance from the Hallingdal region of Norway. The unhurried second movement (Allegretto grazioso), which commences with a pastoral oboe theme, is also derived from a ‘halling’. A different kind of dance, a ‘springar’, informs the third movement (notice the shifting accents, sometimes on the first beat, other times on the second). As in the previous two movements, the third movement (Allegro giocoso) includes a lengthy middle episode which acts as a contrast to the outer sections. The final movement (Andante - Allegro risoluto) is the most substantial of the four and ushers in a far more serious mood than what we have encountered up to this point. That said, the mood lightens in the serene, major-key middle section (Più tranquillo), which is based upon a traditional wedding song.

Performed live as part of Tan Dun's ‘Wolf Totem’ on 16 March 2023 at Federation Concert Hall, nipaluna / Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

PROGRAM
Grieg, Symphonic Dances

Conductor: Eivind Aadland
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra