Entry #7: Brass Fanfares & Solving the Riddle

Post Spring Break blues..

In class this week, we listened to Fanfare from La Peri by Paul Dukas, so I wanted to explore some more fanfares written for brass ensemble.

Fanfare from La Peri

Performed by Frankfurt Radio Symphony

"La Péri (a poème dansé, or danced poem) was his final large-scale work—he almost destroyed it as well, but it was saved at the insistence of his friends. A one-act ballet dedicated to the French dancer Natalia Trouhanova, known for her portrayals of Salome in various stage works on that character, La Péri was based on a Persian folk story of a prince who seeks the flower of immortality (a lotus) and falls in love with a sleeping fairy (the eponymous peri). Dukas wrote the fanfare to La Péri at the last minute, after he had finished the ballet and it was about to be premiered. Scored for brass choir, it is written in three parts—with a grandiose and powerful opening, a softer and more introspective midsection, and a final return to the initial fanfare." - Dr. Jessica Getman

Fanfares to Music

Performed by Gaudette Brass

A fanfare written by John Corigliano for large brass ensemble, including both on- and off-stage brass ensembles; on-stage: horn, trumpets, trombone, bass trombone; off-stage: 2 horns, 2 piccolo trumpets, trombone, and tuba. It was commissioned by the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society to celebrate their 25th anniversary season. The premiere included Robert Routch, horn, with the American Brass Quintet and the Meridian Arts Ensemble at Alice Tully Hall, New York, NY on October 20, 1993.

The program notes from the composer himself, John Corigliano:

"Since chamber music evokes a feeling of intimacy, the idea of writing a fanfare for a large symphonic brass choir posed a number of problems to me. But this was the request of the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society to celebrate their 25th anniversary season.

Fanfares to Music, my solution to this quandary, is basically a short lyrical and introspective piece involving a standard brass quintet on the stage and “fanfare elements” played by the remaining six players around the back of the hall.

The onstage quintet plays a long chorale-like passage, answered at first by solos from its own ranks, and later from the offstage players. This dialogue reaches a peak and resolves into a gentle setting of Schubert’s masterful song An Die Musik (hence the title) from which all of the earlier fanfare elements were taken. For me, this great Art song perfectly captures the essence of chamber music.

– John Corigliano"

Vienna Philharmonic Fanfare

Performed by the Vienna Philharmonic

An incredibly virtuosic, yet short work for brass ensemble written by Richard Strauss for the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra to be performed at a ball to mark their 40th anniversary on 4 March 1924. The work is scored for 8 horns, 6 trumpets, 6 trombones, 2 tubas, and 2 timpani. Nothing special to be said about this piece truthfully, just great writing and a great performance.

Solving The Riddle

Not a fanfare, but the next track on Billy May's Big Fat Brass album, Solving The Riddle. This chart was written by Billy May and David Cavanaugh, an American composer, arranger, musician, and producer. A great chart with some interesting dialogue between the different brass sections.

Until next time!

-Jacob