The new da Capo Brass release From the Beginning is filled with music from contemporary composers —the earliest piece is an arrangement from 1973— but the ensemble also has recordings of two new works they commissioned themselves! The first of these is The Protagonist from composer Justin D. Wright, and today we thought it would be fun to share Mr. Wright’s program notes for the piece with you!
The Protagonist for da Capo Brass (2010):
The Protagonist is a 4-part piece for brass quintet in which the ensemble is guiding us through four scenes of differing moods and characters. The idea for the piece has gone through many different variations since its inception. I had, as I feel many composers for brass might, the itch to write epically and seriously, exploring the harsh emotional landscape that brass instruments seem to be able to capture so much better than others. As I began to write, however, entirely different sounds came into my head, and attached to them were entirely different stories.
Each movement represents a look into a different story. I had very specific personal memories and fantasies that I held up to these pieces of music for inspiration and direction. While these scenes suggest very real characters and situations for me, the emotions captured here are not specific to me and aren’t necessary to grasp the human element in the story.
Continually I will hear from composers about how the title of a piece is taken so literally by the audience that any reference to a finite thing will undoubtedly guide the listener to hear said thing, for better or worse. It was difficult for me, then, to strategize how I wanted to let on to the listener that these were scenes with characters in mind, but also remind them that their own emotional interpretation is more important for their experience. Initially called Curio, the piece was a reference to four oddities or musical colors. As I continued writing, linear story-lines acted as guideposts in the music, eventually taking over entirely as if a film score. Eventually I just gave in and wrote, renaming the piece again to Scenes Exclusively Involving The Protagonist, and, happily later, just The Protagonist.
Everyone is the protagonist in their own story, and I know that we’ve all felt at one time the same way that these scenes are projecting. I’d like to thank da Capo Brass for adding an entirely new level of emotion with their performances, and for all the hard work that went into making this piece possible
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