Instrumentation:

• 5 vln 1 — 5 vln 2 — 4 vla — 4 vcl — 2 cb

Duration: 4:00

First Performance: —

Program Note:

• Play is a witty, exuberant, technically challenging rondo-scherzo in which a basic motif repeatedly gets unhinged by obsessively changing meters. A string quartet comprising the principal players frequently provides a lighter contrast from the heaviness of the whole ensemble. While not completely pizzicato throughout, I thought to pay homage to Benjamin Britten's "Playful Pizzicato" from the Simple Symphony. I imagine this movement taking place in the hot summer; the kids of the neighborhood get together to play a game of tag.