for brass quintet
‘‘Musique de fête’’ was written in 1999 for brass quintet ‘‘Vitrail’’, to whom the piece is dedicated. Designed in the style of the baroque suite, which exposed a series of airs and dances with no other aim but to entertain, this piece is divided in six successive movements: ‘‘Ouverture’’, ‘‘Aria’’, ‘‘Swing’’, ‘‘Apartés’’, ‘‘Procession’’ and ‘‘Toccata’’. The two themes freely exposed in ‘‘Ouverture’’ will alternatively take on a lyrical shape (as in ‘‘Aria’’ and ‘‘Apartés’’) or rhythmical (as in ‘‘Swing’’ and (‘‘Toccata’’). As for the piece’s festive spirit, which expresses itself in many ways, it at times evokes very typically joyful, celebratory musics, and at other times it manifests itself in a more ritual manner, as in the procession which introduces the final ‘‘Toccata’’–but isn’t any fête (especially that of a musical kind, called ‘‘a concert’’) ritualistic by definition?
composed in: 1998-1999
commissioned work for the State (D.R.A.C. of Champagne-Ardenne)
premiered in: 2002, Reims, at Palais du Tau, by Quintette Vitrail
duration: 12’
publisher: Jobert
Vitrail Brass Quintet (Eric Gouillard and Rémy Dintrich, trumpets ; Gérard Tremlet, french horn ; Jean-Luc Sauvage, trombone ; Marc Lefèvre, tuba)
live recording in Cormontreuil (France), 2002