Contrasto Grosso

Contrasto Grosso is a three-part suite rich in dances, full of contrasting styles, dynamics and instrumentation. The name itself is a play on the famous concerto grosso from the 17th and 18th centuries. In the concerto grosso a group of solo instruments usually plays a prominent role, as in this work.

The contrast in Jacob de Haan’s Contrasto Grosso is formed by the alternation of folkloric elements with baroque elements, alternating in tutti and in smaller instrument groups. The pleasure of playing radiates in this work, the premiere of which Jacob de Haan conducted in the Dutch city of Eindhoven.