Recalls obviously refers to memories. This piece of music is in fact a series of flashbacks, however, it does not highlight the actual memories of specific thoughts, people or events. The composition evolves around the late Frans Steurs, who for many years was the inspirational artist behind the brass band that is currently commissioning this work. The main theme of the work is based on the name STEURS. E = mi, U = do, R = re and S = si which is Dutch for the note ti. This idea forms the musical theme for the entire composition and different variations are used throughout. The structure of the work is based on the concept of a story which father Steurs is telling his two daughters, who play the flute and the clarinet. Each part of the work has a story-like character: 1. Introduction: following a short ominous intro, the main theme is presented for the first time. 2. The Story: father Steurs has both his daughters on his knee and he tells them stories from the old days. Trumpets and trombones play variations of the theme. The story gets very exciting (accelerande, poco a poco agitato) until the tale takes a dramatic turn when the father tells an exciting story at the time of the Second World War. He tells of being hunted down by the occupying army and these adventurous episodes are related to us musically in part 3. Danger, with its skilful references to vor dem Sturm from Eine Alpensinfonie by Richard Strauss. 4. called Fugitives, is about how he fled in the night from the enemy and this is reflected in the bass tones of a new theme. The aggression of the war is illustrated from bar 117 onwards, by a harsh brass section. The main theme is repeated once again and this time up-tempo. The second theme is brought once again from bar 149 onwards. 5. Dialogues, depicts the conversations between the two daughters and their father. Father speaks (bar 155); the daughters answer (bar 164 - flute, bar 166 - clarinet); bar 178: father answers with the tune of the main theme to the two daughters. The discussions gradually intensify but ultimately end in peace in the last part called Conclusion. The piece of music Recalls is a free interpretation by the composer who consulted the letters between the two daughters of Steurs and their father and in this respect it is not really music for a programme. |
