Fanfare and Prayer (2022)
Opener for Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale
for clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, vibraphone, violin, and string bass
Duration: 5 minutes
Program Note
Fanfare and Prayer is an opener to Stravinsky’s Soldier’s Tale. This five minute piece features the same instrumentation, except for one significant modification. I began writing this piece in March 2022, when, more than 100 years after the first world war and the composition of Soldier’s Tale, we were once again possibly on the brink of world war as Ukraine was defending against Russia’s invasion. Given the situation, I decided a meditative, ambient work with a marital introduction would be the best course of action. In this appeal to a higher power, I avoided militaristic drums and instead chose vibraphone to generate resonance and atmospheric beauty. I hope the ambient pulse and romantic emotionalism of the instrumental counterpoint pique the imagination of the lister and prepare the way for Stravinsky’s great work.