One Day Wonder #195

For 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones and tuba.

This is the real deal, right here, right now. Not quite a march, not quite a polka, this tune rocks. Although it’s a little hairy around the edges, it’s still the finest thing I’ve done in many a moon. I wanted to write something zippy (I’ve been writing sub-120bpm stuff for what seems like forever) and I wanted it in Dorian B minor. And then I wrote it. Like many worthwhile pieces, it took quite a while to frame. By the time I got around to finishing, I finally noticed that it was pitch dark outside and that my apartment was freezing. I guess I kind of lost track of things. In the past, I’ve tried for some semblance of unity in these little tunes. I’ve even rewritten pieces (#50 comes to mind) because of violent mood swings – B, C or D themes that sounded like they belonged to other pieces. For this tune, I wanted mood swings. The A theme is a manic, driving affair that thrives on its own weirdness. The horn picks up the B theme with a more lyrical line and saner accompaniment that briefly makes its mark, before the A theme repeats. This time, the second trumpet has some very kinetic stuff going on beneath the main tune. The C theme is, well, the C theme. I have no idea where it came from. All I can remember is that I was staring at the blank spot where it was supposed to go and then it was there. If I was to call it anything, I’d say it was a quasi-chorale. No matter what it’s labeled, it doesn’t belong in something that’s not quite a march, not quite a polka. That’s the great thing about this piece. Nothing really belongs. That’s why everything goes together so well. This was really a thrill to write, because it wasn’t so much about one logical idea connecting to the next logical idea, but rather about chasing down all the crazy stuff that needed to go on the page. And yes, there’s a lot of dissonance going on both in the melody and harmony. That’s how I wanted it. Is it the best piece so far? No, but as I said, it’s the best piece in a long time.