Sinfonietta for Eleven Instruments (Full Performance Set)

Sinfonietta for Eleven Instruments is a transcription of my 2012 Sinfonietta, created especially for my 60th birthday concert at the San Francisco Conservatory. The first movement, Overture, is a spirited sonata-allegro, quite classical in form and mood, with dotted rhythms and animated running-sixteenth notes. The accumulation of rhythmic energy suddenly comes to a halt, with woodwind solos leading into the second movement, Elegy. This movement is characterized by a quiet intensity, with a “sighing” motive in the strings, answered by more florid passages in the solo woodwinds. The third movement, Finale, begins with an animated figuration arising from the low register of the ensemble, culminating in the announcement of a jaunty, syncopated theme. The development of this theme leads to an animated climax that subsides into a second lyrical theme, which is broadly sung by the solo violin. More development follows, succeeded by a long transition built on a steady ostinato. At this point all the various themes heard throughout the movement are combined in counterpoint, building to an energetic coda. – David Conte