Fanfare: Program Note

Fanfare was written in response to a request by Prof. James Ross, conductor of the University of Maryland Symphony Orchestra, for a fanfare that could be a "mashup" with the opening Fanfare of Leos Janacek's Sinfonietta - that is, it and the Janacek could be played alone or simultaneously. That would be a daunting project, given our different styles, so I tried to get around this by writing a piece that leans heavily on the Janacek Fanfare, but goes its own way.

My Fanfare begins, as does Janacek's, with a motive in the trumpets. Janacek's is scored for 9 trumpets in groups of 3, all playing simultaneously. In my version the trumpets enter canonically by 2's (my "orchestra" is only 14 brass instruments, while Janacek's is a full symphony orchestra).

After the trumpets come the horns and then the trombones and tuba - each group repeating its material at a different pace. During the course of the piece, the trumpets, and then the trombones and tuba, leave their perches in the balcony and come down to pre-arranged positions in the Hall itself. Everyone except the horns moves in the course of this piece - even the conductor, who, towards the end moves down into the hall, the better to supervise his spread-out ensemble. Fanfare is the opening of a larger work - Room Music - which will be premiered by the University Wind Orchestra later this season. Fanfare is dedicated to the memory of Leos Janacek and will receive its premiere at the University of Maryland Oct. 1, 2010.

Please contact Lawrence Moss for further availability details.