Con Spirito is an overture for orchestra in which Joey Roukens showcases his most joyful and exuberant side. Although this aspect is not new to listeners familiar with his work—such as the first part of his double piano concerto In Unison or the first part of Boundless—he has never presented this side as extensively before. Throughout the approximately 13 minutes of this overture, the music remains constantly energetic, sometimes even ‘hyper-energetic,’ and predominantly cheerful in tone.
Writing good cheerful music that maintains speed and humor without becoming bland or superficial is a significant challenge. Composers like Haydn, Weber, Rossini, and Poulenc were masters of this style, yet many contemporary composers seem to have overlooked or found it uninteresting to create such music. This is reflected in the common perception of contemporary classical music as ‘serious music.’ Despite the light-hearted and upbeat nature of the material, Roukens has often sought a massive, large orchestral sound in the orchestration for contrast, which hopefully creates a peculiar kind of tension—akin to a cartoonishly inflated lightheartedness.
The piece is further characterized by tight rhythms with a racing pulse, ever-changing time signatures, jazzy undertones, a slightly quieter middle section featuring gamelan-like percussion, and a climax reminiscent of madcap fairground music.
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