The first version of Matthews’ concert-opener Sinfonia was written in 1995 for the English Chamber Orchestra. In 2015 Matthews made substantial revisions to the 8-minute piece, adding an extra pair of horns. In the classical manner, it begins with a slow introduction and double-dotted fanfares in instrumentals solos for trumpet, violin, flute and horn, as different tonalities clash for pre-eminence. A boisterous allegro follows in which the timpanist plays a propulsive role, offset by more lyrical material in the strings, following the sonata-form pattern. Sinfonia concludes with a flamboyant coda and sees the opening’s bitonality return.
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