I love the festive nature of many of Frank Ticheli’s works. This one, Abracadabra! is however one of the most festive with the percussive nature of the work being displayed in the forefront with legato passages from the flutes and horns in the background. This strikes me as a march or dance number that can be really good in a movie or show on Broadway. The piece starts off in a lovely G minor with this easily singable melody—G, A, B-flat, A over and back again. Then, the texture turns to the major (B-flat) still in two flats and the festive music begins and ends with a simple I-IV-V-V-I cadence. I love the additions of the triangle and the tam tam (?) that are supposedly trademark instruments in the percussion section of many of Ticheli’s works. The ringing of the triangle really shines through on this performance and gives it the hearing and feeling of a crisp sound and color.
This should be on the recommended list of compositions that should be in beginning composers’ ears. They need to hear masters like this. These are the types of pieces that make playing in a band super-fun. The marccatos or forced points in the piece that could also be sforzandos and the like give an impression of spontaneity. You don’t quite know what’s going to happen next.
The percussion opening is the first of many that I’ve likely heard in the concert band repertoire. It’s always a good in technique to start with something simple and layer it with other instruments. He builds upon it with all the joy and care that could be had. The brass soon picks up the melody mentioned earlier and makes it shine with minor brilliance. The whole texture in the end is waiting for a climax and it goes back and forth from the silent nature of the woodwinds and the low brass charging up to the end and the thumping of the drums with higher brass taking command and then silence again.
Then, right before the end there is the boom of the bass drum that occurs. This is a signature of many of Ticheli’s works. Then in a flash, the quick minor chord and the work is over.
I must say that this piece is one of Ticheli’s finer works for the wind band. It is most certainly popular among the advanced high school bands and college bands all around the country. Give this a listen. I hope you’ll be inspired.
