Description

Sinfonietta n°2 is a tribute to the French music from the beginning of the twentieth century, assimilated to the artistic movement of the impressionists. The two big names being of course Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. we can add other composers to the list, such as Maurice Emmanuel or Raoul Bardac for example. So I took on the challenge of putting al the colours of their music into a contest piece for brass band. The form of the piece is a suite in four distinct movements (whose names are in the composer's mother tongue). The subject of the four movements is the journey distant, childhoud and dreams. The piece is cyclical in shape and the four movements are connected by a thematic element introduced by the flugel horn in the first movement. Also a process used by Ravel and Debussy, notably in their string quartets.

Pierre-Antoine Savoyat.

Sinfonietta n°2 was commissioned by the Hauts-de-France Brass Band and their conductor Luc Vertommen. Sinfonietta n°2 was played by the Hauts-de-France Brass Band at the French national Brass Band Championships, the Flemish Open Championships in Mechelen (Belgium), the European Brass Band Championships in Birmingham (UK) and the World Music Contest in Kerkrade (Holland).

I. Prélude à un Pays Lointain - Prelude to a Distant Land

The first movement evokes a distant and imaginary country, rather inspired by Asian countries. The main theme (cyclic) exposed by the flugel horn uses the pentatonic scale accompanied by a cloudy atmosphere. Gradually, the whole opens up to arrive at a second much brighter theme. After a return of the nebulous atmosphere, the main theme returns, and the movement ends in a calm environment.

II. Cortège Fabuleux - Fabulous Procession

A colorful parade, with exotic animals, jugglers and magicians. The first one part uses the cyclical theme, the procession seems to have come from afare, and is getting closer to us. The second part, more mysterious, evokes the presence of animals and legendary creatures almost threatening, but we quickly find the jovial atmosphere of the first part and the main theme, the whole ends in apotheosis.

III. Dialogue du Vent et des Montagnes - Dialogue of the Wind and the Mountains.

The titles is a nod to Debussy, (finale of La Mer: Dialogue du Vent et de la Mer). This movement is an evocation of the mountain ranges, a light current of air which accompanies and an ascent that takes us through a blizzard, before finding the sun above the clouds.

IV. Feria - Fair

An evocation of the festivals in the Basque country where Ravel was born. If the party begins quietly, everything becomes more and more flashy, before finally gettings drunk after the alcohol having flowed excessively... The piece concludes with a brillant and virtuoso finale, in the most typical Ravelian ardour.

Cette sinfonietta est un hommage à la musique Française du début du XXème siècle assimilé au courant artistique des impressionistes, les deux grands noms étant bien sûr Claude Debussy et Maurice Ravel, nous pouvons rajouter d'autres compositeurs à la liste, comme Maurice Emmanuel ou Raoul Bardac par exemple. J'ai donc pris le défi de mettre toute les couleurs de cette musique dans un brass band. La forme de la pièce est une suite en quatre mouvements distinct (dont les noms sont dans la langue maternelles des compositeurs), le sujet des quatre mouvements est le voyage lointain, l'enfance et le rêve. La péce est de forme cyclique, les quatre mouvements sont rélies par un élément thématique présenté par le bugle au premier mouvement. Procédé également utilisé par Ravel et Debussy, notamment dans leurs quatuors.