Ken Benshoof

Rondo

Ken Benshoof's Rondo for Viola and Harpsichord, written in 1969 and in Benshoof's early style, nonetheless exhibits distinct facets of his later musical language - clever and rhythmically-driven ideas interspersed with musical moments of stretched time, with viola and harpsichord sharing notes in a particularly intriguing conversation. The Rondo itself might be considered a quirky transmutation of folksong material, played bracingly (and occasionally virtuosically) against a tongue-in-cheek harpsichord. The in-between moments, though still with rhythm, take on an eerie cast, and both instruments display a show of tone color against strange plainchant in the depths of the harpsichord.