Songs, Games & Dances (2024)
(Concertino for Violin and Ensemble (Pocket Concerto) )

In this concertino, Songs, Games & Dances, written for violinist Niklas Walentin, I explore different moods ranging from serious, melancholic and anxious to more euphoric and playful ones.

All six movements are relatively short, each with very different characters and musical ideas, hopefully resulting in a colourful listening journey through various sound worlds.

I - A slow chorale that soon morphs into a disorientated dance.

II - An interrupted, anxious violin melody finds peace in a little lullaby.

III - A quiet, silvery song. Perhaps an echo of a beautiful bird.

IV - A dreamy memory of a mid-20th century love-song.

V - A yearning violin melody grows increasingly agitated, accompanied by static ensemble music.

VI - A fiery cadenza sets the tone for the coda, a rhythmic and slightly obsessive, yet playful dance.

- Joel Järventausta 2024