This work for wind ensemble “Farewell for Full Fathom Five is remarkable. It is a largely brass-driven classical composition that is complete with trumpet and low brass and percussion. No woodwinds are found in the piece. What is remarkable about this piece is it comes in with a crash, bang, and a massive brass slide. The slides continue after a brief exploration into Chromatic Mediant Ville. The falloffs from the slides in the lower brass are phenomenal.
The piece is very short. It is a mere three minutes and twelve seconds. Percussion stomps all the while through the work, making it scream along with the brass through the ears of listeners. The dissonances throughout are just fabulous and blockaded by crashing cymbals. It sounds as if I am entering a nebulous astronomy roller-coaster ride at Disneyland. This is not a bad thing. Great classical works of the 21st century are supposed to catch your attention like this. They’re supposed to be rollercoasters to keep you always on the edge of your seat. I love how the French Horns slide up along the chord structures in the piece and lift the piece to different harmonic structures. It’s like you’re hiding behind a built wall.
This piece was first premiered by the Columbus State University Wind Ensemble and was conducted by Jamie L. Nix. This is a fabulous performance by this group. You should check this out if you are a lover of contemporary classical band music. Your ears are in for a treat just by the harmony itself. I have heard this attempted by a higher level middle school group and they did a fantastic job. It would also be a fabulous thing for high school group to play. I totally recommend this work for any ensemble looking for a quick opener for their music programs. It’s perfect. Here’s the link.
