Arranged for string orchestra by Julian Azkoul, artistic director and leader of the United Strings of Europe, Farr's quirky and clever Mondo Rondo is right at home in this larger setting. The visceral energy and grooving rhythms in the second and third movements are particularly well suited for orchestral reinforcement, while its hocketting pizzicato and subtle body percussion passages are made all the more dynamic in this context.
Mondo Rondo is also available in its original form for string quartet and also arranged by the composer for piano trio.
Gareth Farr is an indisputably colourful figure in New Zealand music. And whether scored for percussion duet or the resources of two large orchestras, Farr's music reflects his personality – bold, brash, or delicate and sensuous, but inevitably, immediately, engaging. Rhythmic elements of his compositions can be linked to the complex and exciting rhythms of Rarotongan log drum ensembles, Balinese gamelan and other percussion music of the Pacific Rim. In addition to his music for the concert chamber, Farr has written music for dance, theatre and television.
