I. Reel, II. Jig, III. Breakdown

The Baroque trio sonata, a nearly-four hundred year old musical form employed by composers like Arcangelo Corelli, was a suite of miniatures, derived from the popular dance forms of the day. My first trio sonata experiments with traditional Anglo-American fiddle tune styles. The first movement is a “reel” in 4/4, featuring three voices in counterpoint and with a continuo bass (played by the left hand of the accordion). The second movement is a “jig” in 13/8. The third movement is a “breakdown” featuring improvised variations over an unsymmetrical theme and ending in a short cannon.