Grieg, Nordic Sun

In the opening chords of his Piano Concerto, Grieg informs the audience that something extraordinary is about to unfold. With the iconic descending chordal motif, the formidable pianist Michelle Cann seizes attention in an instant. But first, conductor Lina Gonzalez-Granados sets the stage with Grieg’s famous Peer Gynt Suite and the stirring Overture in D Minor by Croatian composer Dora Pejačević.

In his Symphony No. 2, Danish composer Carl Nielsen drew inspiration from the psychological theory of the four temperaments. Each movement reflects one of these personality types—the fiery passion of the choleric, the nonchalance of the phlegmatic, the torment of the melancholic, and the confidence of the sanguine—all brought to life through the full palette of orchestral colours.