In The Shadow Of The Bat - Concerto for Three Trombones and Orchestra by Niels Marthinsen (2009). Programme note: In the Shadow of the Bat is a triple concerto for three trombones and orchestra inspired by Batman and his enemies The Joker Two-Face and The Penguin. A central idea of modern versions of the Batman myth is that the batman is created by the fantastic villains that he fights and they are created by him - and that Batman is driven by revenge and hate barely held in check by an intense sense of justice. Batman represents 'the dark side' while the villains are hyper-imaginative colourful creative caracters who happen to be completely insane. The rivalry between soloists and orchestra is anything but friendly: The three soloists represent one villain each the orchestra 'is' the batman - and while the villains take centre stage during most of the concerto they are eventually overwhelmed by the sheer power of the orchestra and sent where they belong: The lunatic's asylum. The concerto begins with the creation of the batman: An eight year old boy persuades his parents to leave an opera performance before it is over; outside in an alley they are shot and killed by a criminal while the boy watches. And he decides that all criminals must be punished! Then follows the Villaineuos Fugue: a multi-part fugue-like exposition of villain motives and stylistic environments. It is the exposition of the joker (alto trombone) two-face (tenor trombone) and the penguin (bass trombone). And after a brief and very slow interlude where the three criminals form an alliance and make their plans the Toccata of Crime begins: Bright fast moving highly energetic expansive and colourful music still dominated by the soloists. But later the orchestra moves to centre stage with slow omnious swooping bat-music that climaxes as the soloists are defeated by the orchestra. In the Shadow of the Bat is commissioned
