7:06
The title, The More the Merrier, the Fewer the Better Fare, is a 16th-century proverb that captures the essence of this piece. Beginning with a section using only 4 notes, each subsequent section adds a new note to the mix, exploring the new expressive benefits of 'the more the merrier' along the way. All 12 pitches are in play once the accordion settles into a madcap ostinato pattern. But too much merriment can be exhausting and 'the fewer the better fare' looks better and better as the music backs quickly through all the preceding sections, withdrawing one pitch at a time from each section until returning to the simplicity of the opening. A little coda fondly remembers the best moments of merriment.
