This quintet mixes the worlds of baroque instruments and modern music. It is scored for a reasonably conventional baroque combination — three recorders, viola da gamba and harpsichord — but the tonal language is very much more modern, using spare textures and a whole tone scale throughout. Emotionally, the quintet takes us on a journey from somewhere dark but peaceful, to an agitated second movement, and back through some querky dance-like writing to the mood of the beginning. Much of the quintet’s musical material is derived from the series of chords played by the viola da gamba at the very beginning. The four movements are played continuously, and these chords, with material derived from them, link the musical thoughts together.

Duration
The duration of this piece is approximately 8 minutes.