Antithesis

“Antithesis” is a three-part scherzo written for brass choir and percussion. The piece features some typically unusual instrumentation from what one would expect from a standard brass section, which is a separate 1st and 2nd euphonium and tuba part, 2 flugelhorn parts, and even a bass trumpet part. The piece starts off with a relentlessly driven section partly inspired by bits and pieces of Dvořák’s 9th Symphony, with a triplet groove used extensively. It then goes back to a more laid-back dance in contrast to the previously driving part before the first section recapitulates in reverse order and in a new key.

The piece is written in an ABCBA, or arch form, meaning that the performers and audience alike go on a vast journey between the two A sections, and once returned, while not exactly like the first A section, the final A section wraps a bow to this high-energy relentless piece.