2017-12-03 Magical Music – Lake Oswego Millennium Concert Band
Written by Brian Balmages, this piece, translated as Festival of the Bulls, is a tour de force of Latin music styles from Spain to Cuba. It opens with a modified salsa (3-3-3-2). The trumpet solo line brings in a merengue feel. This is followed by a paso doble section depicting a bullfight, with the percussion as the matador and the winds as the matador’s cape. A slow habanera (contradanza) section is next providing a moment of respite. Finally, the piece concludes with a buildup and climax in Afro-Cuban style.
This was definitely an entertaining piece to play, and great fun for the audience to hear as well. It’s long and challenging, but it came out really well.