Concierto pastoral

This delightful concerto was written for the celebrated flautist James Galway, to whom the work is dedicated. Joaquín Rodrigo uses a small orchestra with deft colouring to support his soloist and there is a definite feeling of freedom and joy in the outdoors about the work. There are three movements, which all feature Galway’s great virtuosity but the central movement bears the weight of the concerto, as it does in his Concierto de Aranjuez: an Adagio tinged with melancholy which is interrupted by an Allegro in pastoral rhythm announced by the flute and passing in turn to the various instruments of the orchestra in different keys; after a brilliant Cadenza for the flute it then resolves into an Allegretto for the return to the melodic theme.