program notes by composition > s > Satiric Dances
Satiric Dances was commissioned by the Concord Band to celebrate the American Bicentennial, commemorating the first shot of the Revolutionary War. Dello Joio based the piece on music he previously used for a comedy by the Greek playwright Aristophanes. The work features three contrasting movements: an allegro pesante opening, a slower adagio mesto with a melancholy flute melody, and a fast, energetic allegro spumante finale, depicting the spirit of Aristophanes' plays.