This piece evokes an invented “folk” violin style through the use of irregular meters, grace-notes, pedal tones, diatonic modalities, microtonal inflections and irregular rhythmical subdivisions. Such techniques create a quasi-improvised feel to the surface of the music, yet every detail is notated precisely. The piece involves no quotation, transcription or transformation of any pre-existing musical material.
A simple five-note motive is the basis for all the melodic and harmonic material, becoming gradually less tonal as the piece progresses. A continuous line becomes increasingly displaced between registers. A general formal trajectory from low to high registers is combined with an acceleration of pulse and harmonic rhythm and a transformation of texture from modality to timbre.