Trittico
was commissioned by the Swiss Brass Band
Association for their national championships in
1988.
A trittico is a tripych or group of three
paintings or musical compositions based on a
common theme and presented or performed together.
The present work is a set of three extended
variations on the American shaped-note hymn
Consolation.
The work opens in grand style with motives based
on intervals of the hymn tune. The opening motif,
and smaller fragments of it reappear throughout
the piece and serve as an underlying element
alongside the theme itself.
The first variation is essentially a scherzo
which echoes the minor mood of the theme. The
hemiolic opposition of compound and duple time is
used to good effect and, again, the main motif is
never far away. This is music with energy and
forward movement.
The second variation gives the soloists a chance
to shine. The mood is tranquil, yet there is
always some activity and the musical material
pre-echoes the third variation.
The third variation is another scherzo-like
section, the main theme accompanied by a rhythmic
ostinato. Toward the conclusion there is a short
aeleatoric passage – a variation within a
variation allowing half the band to make their
own variaitions in a cachophony of sound. An
energetic coda draws together several elements to
round off a work brim full of drive, energy, and
self-propelled enthusiasm.
Duration: 13:30
