Frank Ticheli: "Pacific Fanfare"

Pacific Fanfare

Frank Ticheli

Born January 21, 1958, Monroe, Louisiana

Instrumentation: Orchestral Wind Section and Percussion

Duration: 5 minutes

Composed: 1995

Frank Ticheli, Pacific Fanfare

Pacific Fanfare, scored for woodwinds, brass and percussion, exploits several spatial characteristics of a large concert hall. Onstage, the brass and percussion sections are separated into two antiphonal choirs, with the woodwinds and timpani situated in the middle. Offstage, peripheral solo trumpet and horn project sounds from behind the audience.

The piece is a tribute to the great Venetian composer, Giovanni Gabrieli, who brilliantly utilized the space of St. Mark’s Cathedral in his polychoral works and antiphonal fanfares.

There are two main themes, one based on wide melodic leaps (successive ascending fifths), the other based on a rapid repeated-note figure. In the beginning they are nostalgic and elegiacal, but by the second half of the piece, they take on more grand, fanfare-like personalities.

Pacific Fanfare was completed in June of 1994, during a summer residence at Yaddo, an artist colony in Saratoga Springs, New York. It was composed as a gift to Carl St. Clair and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra.

- Program note from the printed score

Additional Resources:

- Previous Ticheli UMWO Blog Posts

- FrankTicheli.com

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