[Startup] Introduction et rondo capriccioso (4-4 in GLC CO)

The plain yet intricate rondo form of this classic showpiece follows a traditional ABACABA scheme, with the added recursive twist of the transitions between each section themselves forming a miniature rondo in the ABABA pattern. The interleaving of these two structures gives the piece a verisimilitude that might at first glance obfuscate the otherwise very traditional underlying craftsmanship.

0:00: The piece begins with an introductory section in a tranquil andante malinconico where the mood is set. It builds up to a tension-filled peak upon which the main rondo theme kicks off (1:54) and starts the energetic motion that will dominate the rest of the piece. This then leads directly into the first episode (2:40), which presents a contrasting melody, somewhat lighter than the main theme.

3:02: A playful transition signals the imminent return of the main theme (3:26), this time escalating into a more dramatic interlude at 3:56 which then slows down and makes place for the second episode (4:30). Here, a slightly more mellow theme signals a decrease in tension, but not a full release! It gradually acquires a more agitated energy, culminating with the frenetic double stops just before 5:28 - the emotional high-point of the piece - where we enter another rapid transition.

5:51: The halfway-point is reached as the main theme returns again, but now with a much more active accompaniment. This new energy leads into a slightly extended transition (6:21) building up towards the third and final episode, which arrives at 7:28 with a recapitulation of the "B" theme from the first episode.

7:50: A final transition section heralds the arrival of the piece's climax, where the main theme returns for the last time (8:09) but this time played by the orchestra, the soloist now accompanying with breathtaking arpeggios. The section comes to a screeching halt with a short cadenza (8:32) which leads us into the coda (8:50), where a lightning-fast series of runs propels us across the finish line.

This deck went 3-0 in the swiss of the GLC online startup CO, but in the cut did not stand up to the pressure and went 1-3. Many of the cut games were the somewhat favored PD matchup and were very close affairs; I still think it was a reasonable choice in a meta where a lot of people went purple to rush out the boat decks.

There are certainly some debatable card choices; I'm especially skeptic of Mystic Maemi but I wanted more triggers for The Twinning. 2x Cezve and a Paladin Poemu is probably enough for that though. The deck is pretty much my "nice, new expansion, let me try out all these cards" experiment deck that I threw together when Midnight Sun released, which went through a bit of refinement but ended up keeping a lot of 1-of tools. Sticking to 1x of unique cards makes for fewer dead draws, but it also increases variance of course, so you can't assume you'll assemble your full doomsday rig every game. But you'll always draw something useful and the deck is almost always fun to play.

My other deck won more but was more of a mathematical excercise than a test of skill.