Redwood Fanfare
Lee Actor
About this work:
Redwood Fanfare was commissioned by the Redwood Symphony and written in June 2002. Like most fanfares, the piece is characteristically celebratory, opening with a flourish scored for brass and percussion. This signature motif is followed by a contrasting passage for woodwinds and strings, consisting of long, intersecting lines descending in thirds under and over a B pedal point. Three trumpets then transform the descending line into a ringing passage in close canonic imitation, a characteristic technique in brass writing of the late 16th century Venetian composers Gabrieli and Monteverdi. This is suddenly interrupted by a quiet restatement of the opening in a surprising new key, exchanged between woodwinds and strings. A variation of the descending motif follows, and the canonic passage previously heard in the trumpets is now played by the upper strings. The canon is extended and compressed, and a rush of 16th notes in the strings ushers a return to the opening of the piece, now reinforced by the full orchestra. The conclusion of Redwood Fanfare is reached quickly and with a bang.
Year composed: 2002
Duration: 00:03:00
Ensemble type: Orchestra:Standard Orchestra
Instrumentation: 2 Flute, 2 Oboe, 2 Clarinet, 2 Bassoon, 4 Horn in F, 3 Trumpet, 3 Trombone, 1 Tuba, 1 Timpani, 2 Percussion (General), 1 Strings (General)