Pastoral 21 – Gabriel Prokofiev & Unltd Collective

Pastoral 21 is a contemporary exploration on what the concept of ‘Pastoral’ means to us in this time of climate crisis. It features classical string sextet alongside field recordings, electronic bass & angular beats, centered around Gabriel Prokofiev’s contemporary response to Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony.

The Album opens with the original first movement of Beethoven’s famous symphony (arranged for sextet) – reminding listeners of our less troubled relationship with nature in Beethoven’s time – before moving on to the modern beats of Prokofiev’s recent composition Breaking Screens, which explores ideas of consumerism, digital life and impending crisis. The programme climaxes with 5 movement ‘Pastoral Reflections’ which echoes Beethoven’s symphonic narrative, but from a contemporary perspective.