Extra Score. Omaggio is a homage to Italy and all things Italian. A brief Burla of a fast-moving scherzo character pays tribute to Verdi. Barcarola is sterner stuff - a grim black gondola evokes the Venice of the Serenissima. The movement is an actual gondola song coupled with the jaunty fanfares of Monteverdi and Gabrieli's Sonata pian'e forte. The most substantial movement is the final Palio, an unashamedly programmatic evocation of the historic Sienese horse-race, ending with a Tuscan folk-song. Duration: 16-18 mins
