Symphonic Dance, op. 64 No. 2

On a Norwegian Motive. Edvard Grieg's compositional work was significantly influenced by his young composer colleague Richard Nordraak: Nordraak opened Grieg's eyes and ears to a specifically Norwegian way of composing, which had the effect that Grieg turned away from the specifically Central European way as represented by Mendelssohn, for example, and henceforth strove to emphasise the Norwegian in his music more strongly. This is evident not only in the use of Norwegian folk songs, but also in the style of movement and harmony. A typical example of this is the present Symphonic Dance with its catchy folk melody on the one hand, but also brittle harmony on the other. This tension contributes significantly to the engaging character of the dance.