Description
This piece is a realisation of the composer's long held wish to write an amusing up-dated version of the Corelli style of concerto grosso employing concertante and ripieno strings. It was composed in early summer 2008. There are five short movements.
1. Poco adagio - allegro - tempo primo
What appears to start in F major immediately wanders through remote keys. The central allegro contrasts dark and light-(hearted) sections before returning to the opening adagio.
2. Allegro giocoso
A contrapuntal working of a G major tune in folk-dance style which, after the use of melodic inversion, starts to sound bored and ends suddenly in D major.
3. Lento pastorale
This could initially be taken as a quite serious update of the Baroque pastoral movement in a concerto grosso. The central minor key section suggests that the sheep may have wandered away, but don't worry; by the end, THEY'RE BACK!
4. Allegretto
Of course, there had to be a Baroque-and-roll section somewhere.
5. Giocoso
A gigue-like movement based on another rustic-sounding tune, interspersed with unpredictable harmonic progressions, a touch of counterpoint and a throwaway ending.