| It is quite well-known that the Sarabande has its origins as a Spanish dance, in slow time with an unusual gentle emphasis on the second beat of many bars, and has been used to good effect by J.S.Bach, Benjamin Britten, Joaquin Rodrigo, and a number of other composers in varying orchestral and chamber music literature. The Sarabande for Strings (2005) of David Johnstone mixes the sensation of an old dance with the full romanticism of a Viennese Adagietto, giving a chance for beautiful performance and expression. String orchestral sizes of all kinds can make convincing interpretations of the work, but ideally the number of performers should not fall below 6 – 6 – 4 – 4 – 2, and never beneath 4 – 4 – 3 – 3 – 2 player strengths. In general terms, the larger the better! In addition, the string section principals have fleeting moments of solo prominence in the second half of the work, giving an added intimacy of chamber music feeling within the orchestral writing, and this gives a more magical contrast when there are a generous number of performers on stage. It lasts some seven minutes or more, depending on how leisurely it is taken, and is dedicated to the memory of the composer's mother, Violet Mary Johnstone (née Iremonger). It is also possible to perform in a different (and shorter) string quartet version, as one of his 'European' pieces - those interested please consult Creighton's Collection for the CD 'String Delights'. |
