Composition date: 1993

This is a piece I composed when I was 16, with an ancient software called Adlib Visual Composer. On January 2021 I reviewed some of these old works. They were all pretty disposable, but I thought this one deserved to be resurrected, so I decided to arrange it for orchestra.

For archaeological purposes, you can listen the original piece, which was recorded in a cassette and converted later to a digital format (so the quality is very low).

I managed to preserve most of the structural, thematic and harmonic material of the original. There were, however, a number of problems that required solution:

  • The original was way too fast. I chose a slower tempo, a standard Tempo di Valse.
  • The piece was pretty repetitive. I alleviated that with orchestration, some slight reharmonization, and weaving a couple of secondary lines here and there.
  • The bridge to the reexposition was very fast, and it didn't return to the initial key. Here I wrote an entirely new, longer bridge, which smoothes the orchestration and modulates back to the initial key. I also avoided reexposing the introduction bars.
  • The ending was also too sudden. But I liked the final perfect cadence with just two big chords that mirrored the perfect cadences that mark the repetition of section A and the start of section B. So I rewrote it with by fading out everything so that the two final hits are more effective. These hits are also devoid of the bass figuration of the original, which, I believe, was a bit less effective. After writing all the ending I realized I was probably influenced a bit by the ending of Gustav Holst's Second Suite in F for Military Band.
  • 2023-05-11: Some articulation adjustments and a bit more entertaining part for the pizzicato on the reexposition.
  • 2023-06-15: Lots of orchestration and melodic adjustments

Instrumentation

  • Flute 1
  • Flute 2
  • Oboe 1
  • Oboe 2
  • B♭ Clarinet 1
  • B♭ Clarinet 2
  • Bassoon 1
  • Bassoon 2
  • --
  • F French Horn 1
  • F French Horn 2
  • C Trumpet 1
  • C Trumpet 2
  • Tuba
  • --
  • Timpani
  • Triangle
  • Snare drum
  • --
  • Harp
  • Violin I
  • Violin II
  • Violoncello
  • Contrabass

Downloads

Score and parts available
Score and parts