Jonathan Shaw

Composed: ~September to October 2013

     Woah, where did this one come from? – I had completely forgotten it!

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     This was to be another string concerto in a similar sense as "C.21", this time for a single soloist, but as I struggled further and further just to write the Allegro, I decided not to write the other two movements and only finished the first. Stylistically, it also has influence from Bach and general Baroque concerto writing.

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     The subject has a touch of wit and humour, perhaps with an influence from Haydn. The soloist showing off while the tutti remaining on a pedal was something very Bach-influenced, particularly with a dominant chord appearing over a tonic pedal – I remember that influence being particularly from Bach.

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     The harpsichord is intended to be improvised, but of course to simulate an improvisation, I wrote out the entire part. Irony truly knows no bounds! I also swapped the roles of the instruments at bar 92, giving the melody to the bass instruments and accompaniment to the upper voices and soloist, another witty technique I am surprised to see. You can also note the use of the good old 'ii7b – V – I' cadential pattern learnt from Bach chorales, which I was using all over the place in several pieces. I do enjoy how the subject automatically modulates itself into the dominant without any further work – that was a handy coincidence and surprisingly smooth! I vaguely recall using the downward semiquaver phrases of bar 33 as a reference to "C.37 - Aria", however insignificant the link actually appears!

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     On page 14 there is another boxed note I left for my future self should I ever return to this piece to create a 'Print Score' (the term I call the professional quality score that is ready to be printed - certainly not the case here!) which, as previously stated, I often do just as composers would leave notes on their physical manuscripts. I also recall struggling from bar 115 onward, as you will likely pick up on with the abrupt shift to the dominant minor and the rather dissonant chromaticism that follows.