The work is based on the Rondeau from Henry Purcell's incidental music to Aphra Behn's Abdelazer, and is structured, in accordance with the plan of the original documentary film, as a way of showing off the tone colours and capacities of the various sections of the orchestra.
In the introduction, the theme is initially played by the entire orchestra, then by each major family of instruments of the orchestra: first the woodwinds, then the brass, then the strings, and finally by the percussion. Each variation then features a particular instrument in depth, in the same family order, and generally moving through each family from high to low. So, for example, the first variation features the piccolo and flutes; each member of the woodwind family then gets a variation, ending with the bassoon; and so on, through the strings, brass, and finally the percussion.
After the whole orchestra has been effectively taken to pieces in this way, it is reassembled using an original fugue which starts with the piccolo, followed by all the woodwinds, strings, brass and percussion in turn. Once everyone has entered, the brass are re-introduced (with a strike on the tamtam) with Purcell's original melody.
The sections of the piece and instruments introduced by the variations are as follows:
Theme
Allegro maestoso e largamente
Tutti, woodwinds, brass, strings, then percussion
Variation A
Presto
Piccolo and flute
Variation B
Lento
Oboes
Variation C
Moderato
Clarinets
Variation D
Allegro alla marcia
Bassoons
Variation E
Brillante: alla polacca
Violins
Variation F
Meno mosso
Violas
Variation G
Cellos
Variation H
Cominciando lento ma poco a poco accel. al Allegro
Double basses
Variation I
Maestoso
Harp
Variation J
L'istesso tempo
Horns
Variation K
Vivace
Trumpets
Variation L
Allegro pomposo
Trombones and bass tuba
Variation M
Moderato
Percussion (timpani; bass drum & cymbals; tambourine & triangle; snare drum & wood block; xylophone; castanets & tamtam; whip; percussion tutti)
Fugue
Allegro molto— com Caetano Dable.
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