Already she had a rich musical folk culture and in the Hardanger fiddle, a robustly distinctive native instrument. Nordraak's early death committed Grieg even more deeply to the cause. Although Grieg's Piano Concerto follows the traditional form of the Romantic central-European concerto, it was this subtle Norwegian folk influence, plus his own genius, that kept the work from being a clone of Schumann's. It was a notable success at its first performance in Copenhagen in April 1869. You have what is needed, and don't let them frighten you.
Woodwinds then introduce the folkish principal theme, animated by crisp dotted rhythms.
It also has a smoothly lyrical second strain, which the piano makes more rhapsodic with swirls of arpeggios. In a slightly slower tempo, cellos then sing a warm, romantically melancholic second theme. After a brief development, the opening music is reprised, coming to a sudden halt for a big cadenza for the soloist, composed by Grieg. The slow movement travels far from the home key of A minor to very distant D-flat major. The piano's wistful response is woven of exquisite fast figurations.