4BarsRest logo
The Heaton Collection -  Available with 4BR shopping

 

home

news desk

articles & features

reviews

results archive

rankings

classified ads

your comments

go shopping

credits

ARTICLES

 

National Finals 2002:
Championship Section

Test piece review: Masquerade by Philip Wilby

When Philip Wilby was asked by Bram Gay to write a test piece for the 1993 British Open Championships, the idea of it being a tribute to the great Giuseppe Verdi seemed like an opportunity to good to miss. The tribute was not so much to the man himself, but rather more in homage to what was the composers last great operatic work, “Falstaff”, which was written in it’s final form in 1894, when the Italian with highly common name of “Joe Green” was aged 81.

Wilby set about burrowing away at the opera so that he could mould his tribute from the colourful themes and arias it contained in abundance, whilst he readily acknowledged that he would use “some of Verdi’s music, and some of Shakespeare’s plot, and woven them into a fabric with highly demanding music of my own to produce a work in the great tradition of operatically based brass band pieces”. He wasn’t wrong. There is music aplenty (Verdi was a pretty good bloke when it came to writing a ditty), but the piece has gained a place in banding folklore as something of a “rock ‘ard” test piece rather than a great bit of musical writing.

“Masquerade” in effect represents the high water mark of technical brass band composition - a watermark that in 1993 was felt by many to be too high for the bands of the day to reach. It is without doubt the most detailed piece of brass writing that has ever been written as a contest work (the term test piece has never been so apt) and today, some ten years later, it is safe to say that there will not be too many performances at the Albert Hall that fully conquer the technical aspects of the work.

In 1993, there was just the one - Williams Fairey giving a scorching performance that won the contest by four clear points (the biggest winning margin for 35 years) and a performance that set that great band up to win their last “Double” when they went on to triumph at the Nationals a month or so later. There will be more than just the sole scorcher this time around - but not many more, and like the 1993 contest at the Free Trade Hall, a lot of debate will surely centre around whether or not the audience, and especially the judges will actually be able to hear the detail that the piece demands.

The acoustics at the Free Trade Hall were never perhaps the greatest for sure, but in comparison to the Royal Albert Hall they were almost perfect. Given that the “box” this year may be some 50 yards or more from the stage, it will be debatable whether much, or any for that matter of the real hidden detail will even be heard. There is a deep suspicion that bands know this too well and will forgo the opportunity of displaying their abilities to make the detail count in exchange for the chance to make “effects”. Clarity and precision are likely to be exchanged for sheer sound and aural effect, and whilst you cannot blame the bands for doing this (any attempt at subtlety will surely be lost in the cavernous boom of the auditorium) you can ask yourself why was the work chosen in the first place. As many people pointed out about the music at the British Open, it is possibly the wrong piece for the wrong place.

The music itself portrays the characters found in the Shakespeare play to full effect. Falstaff is something of a loveable rogue, all beer and boasting - every public house in the land has one - he’s the type who always butts into a private conversation with, “I could have done that”. There is also a darker side to him also, as an be found in some of his less salubrious features which the Bard explored in the “Henry” plays. He is never a great Shakespearean leading character, but one who tends to “steal”. the odd scene or two and the plot as such surrounds his downfall at the hands of those people he has wronged once too often.

The scene is Windsor Great Park and Falstaff, ever boastful and full of himself has been lured for what he believes is a bit of “inflagrante delicto” dressed up as Herne the Hunter with a lady of none too respectful a reputation. All those wishing to get one over the old oaf also come dressed up in various disguises from hobgoblins to fairies, and so the music becomes a surreal picture of a somewhat alcohol induced party in the park. Whoever thought 18 - 30 holidays were something new eh?

Wilby explores the characters involved in many ways, with the three trombones representing Falstaff’s companions, the solo cornet becoming the love interest (or tease as the case maybe) and the euphonium playing the fat horny old goat himself. It is very clever descriptive writing - fiendishly difficult for all concerned, whilst you get the feeling that the chattering and suppressed giggling that is illustrated by the percussion interjections signifies the voyeurs peeing themselves at how stupid everyone looks.

There is detail everywhere throughout the score - much of it at low dynamic levels, whilst the percussion adds colour (and alcohol induced hiccups in the form of the whiskey bottle in F) that drives the music on. The troms feature early and the bass trombone players will find themselves literally gasping like asthmatics after their little playful interjection after letters D and G. Bass troms nowadays have so big a bore (the instruments size, not the player themselves it must be added - although in some cases…..) that their feature will take some playing to come over clean and accurate.

The fulcrum of the piece however is to be found with the euph solo cadenza after J - and it will be here that perhaps the chance to win, or lose the Nationals will come. There are many fine players on show in London, but you can guarantee most of them will be shaking in their shoes and wishing they were elsewhere come this Piu Mosso.

In 1993 many euph players took something of the easy option and got a bit of help from their fellow 2nd euph to help them out - this led to the cadenza sounding disjointed and lacked any real sense of style, so it will be interesting if this occurs again. The pinnacle moment comes towards its end with a series of four ever increasing two note groups, starting with an octave D - D, moving to a 13th, a 17th and then finally three octaves - bloody hard at any time of the day or night for sure - and as it is also marked pianissimo lento dolce, nigh on impossible for all but the very best, and bravest of players. Those who do manage it with by actually observing the markings should be bought free drinks by their band for the rest of the weekend at least!

After this comes a beautiful little interlude that will require bands to take immense risks in dynamics to make come off, with the sop players having to cope with a real bum clencher solo motif just before letter M. Do not be surprised if the overall dynamic levels are not quite as marked on your study score. If a band makes the Adagio section before O come off though it will sound magical. Triple piano, with the sop shimmering like the moon itself on a top A, this section portrays the moon rising in the night sky as Falstaff prepares to reveal himself (musically it must be said, unlike that old Labour MP on Clapham Common). If it works then brilliant - if not and it’s safety first, it could sound more like “Shine on Harvey Moon”.

Then bedlam strikes as Falstaff is caught with his trousers around his proverbial ankles and everyone has a turn of poking fun at the old fool with a series of turns, pinches and mockery. Falstaff, realising he’s been done up like a kipper though takes it all on the chin (or three in his case) and bellows the famous “All the World’s a Joke” line, which just like those hackneyed American sitcoms means that everyone laughs with him rather than at him and it’s off for a jolly romp home hand in hand after having a splendid time without the aid of artificial stimulants of any kind.

The run for home though contains some crackingly hard writing and many a band will come a cropper in the final section from V onwards. The last six bars in particular will show how good a band really is when their lips are down to their knees. It is almost cruel. Get that out of the way and it’s a big bash of an ending - although the last three notes are semi quavers and not tenuto crotchets as many will try and play as they eek out the last bit of drama from the piece.

There should be plenty of applause and the winning band will as the libretto itself says “…. he laughs best who has the last laugh!”

“Masquerade” is an amazing piece of brass band writing - perhaps a touch too amazing for the acoustics of the Albert Hall it must be said, and it will be a great pity (and a disservice to the music) if bands opt to try and blow their way through it rather than try to capture the essential wit of the music. The humour of Verdi’s “Falstaff” is rather black and slightly disturbing - more “League of Gentlemen” than “The Fast Show” - so we can only hope the bands take their lead and try impress by using musical intelligence rather then going for a belly laugh with the old pie in the face routine.

© 4BarsRest

back to top

Philip Wilby

print a bandroom copy

Verdi

Falstaff

 © copyright & disclaimer


Fax: 01495 791085 E-Mail:

The Heaton Collection -  Available with 4BR shopping