The score to Colin Matthews’ Contraflow

Colin Matthews’ Contraflow is a 12-minute scherzo and trio for 14 players. But as the title suggests the expected reprise moves in a different direction and adopts a new musical perspective, concluding with a slow movement that reverses the original material. Matthews dedicated the 1992 piece to “my friends in the London Sinfonietta”, and the series of tiny concertinos for each player reflects their virtuosity, as well as being another key process constituting the work.

‘This is a richly colourful score…darkly voluptuous at times (bass clarinet, contrabassoon), mysterious (underground) having been kaleidoscopic, rapid and exuberant.’
Classical Source (Colin Anderson) 25 November 2017