One Day Wonder #198

For 2 horns, 1 Flugelhorn, 3 trombones and tuba.

After the overwhelmingly positive experience I had writing #196, I decided to give serialism another whirl. This time, our tone row is F#=B-A-E-C-D-D#-E#-G#-A#-G-C#. This piece is far more chorale-like than its predecessor. I’m watching this explanation of Schoenberg’s Verklaerte Nacht (which is totally not a serial piece) with this very enthusiastic guy describing it almost measure-by-measure. It’s never been a favorite of mine, as it does, just like with Mahler, try to paint literal pictures with music. This has always seemed very silly to me in that delegating music to mere verbal descriptions does a disservice to both music and writing. But with the coming of the tone poem and such, I do have several least disliked practitioners. They're Richard Strauss and Berlioz. I have my reasons, which are a little too expansive to go into a blog that nobody reads. Be that as it may, you’re welcome to make up any back story you’d like with this piece: Man limps down path, has an epiphany, limps away and so forth. I intended nothing like that. What you have to keep in mind is that the piece will sound a lot different, as the lead voice is for Flugelhorn. What you’re hearing is plain, garden-variety trumpet. Thank you, Finale! You have a patch for banjo and windchimes, but nothing for Flugelhorn, an instrument infinitely more pleasant that either of those. Anyhow, when listening to this tune, think of the lead voice as a cross between a trumpet and a French horn. I know you can! Just do that for me. Thanks a bunch and enjoy the piece.