Bianchi: Mild Effrontery

The composition is designed through use of motivic development and incorporates playful dialogue between instruments. According the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, the definition of effrontery is for one to display “bold, brash, or cheeky behavior; to be sassy or obnoxious.” In the musical world, the charms of brass musicians are not limited to accurately performing beautiful melodic lines or cohesive chorale-like excerpts. They are also known for being the powerhouse of the orchestra, and the roles they play at times can be loud and downright brash. This versatility was the inspiration for the work and moved me to interject various characters within this piece. Although the work is rather limited in duration, it is filled with the bold playfulness of the brass, flowing melodic lines, chorale-like polyphony, and accompanied by the disruptive annoyance of repetitive eighth-notes occasionally interrupting the musical line. Richard Strauss once mentioned, “Never look at the trombones, it only encourages them.” As a fellow brass player, I can gleefully attest to the frequency of this phenomenon and I say, “let them play out!”
Instrumentation: 2 Trumpets and 2 Trombones (Brass Quartet)
Duration: 3’40”
Composed: 2021
Published by: Pelaga Publications