The dark sound of violas introduces the mysterious theme of In Folk Style, the theme-and-variations first movement of Edvard Grieg’s Two Nordic Melodies. The theme Grieg used was presented to the composer by Frederik Due – a Norwegian diplomat – as a folk tune, but it later turned out to have been Due’s own invention. Led by Norwegian violinist Henning Kraggerud, the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s Grieg and Beyond was a study in themes and variations – the concert itself almost a set of variations on that form. A relatively straightforward theme and variations, In Folk Style saw the ACO navigating delicate, whispering entries in the opening, building to the full-throated sound of the combined ensemble. A variation in the violins, triplets creating a shimmering halo around the melody, was particularly magical.

^{Henning Kraggerud and the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Photo © Prudence Upton}

Ross Edwards’ Entwinings, enjoying its world premiere performances on this tour, continued the exploration of variations in its second movement. The first, Animato, danced into life with bright string fragments – leaping across the ensemble from section to section – coalescing into a wider celebration of life....