Equale

Equale is music to commemorate the dead and is played on the trombone, an instrument that symbolizes God, and is usually played by an ensemble of three or four trombones. Here, the three trombones are the core of the octet, with the addition of two trumpets and horns each, and one tuba. Initially, I had a vague image of a funeral, and was inspired by Beethoven's Equale with trombone trio, which inspired me to compose this piece. The composition is based on the three-part structure of "Phase I-Corale-Phase II-Intermezzo-Phase III-Corale," but only Phase II is fast and is effectively a scherzo. It starts with funeral music, followed by a chorale, but Phase II became nightmarish music beyond my control, and I was wondering why I was making such music, and then 9/11 happened as I was about to move to Phase III, and it was supposed to end darkly with a shock! I decided to change the content. I couldn't move to prayer music right away, so I put Intermezzo before Phase III, which is modeled after the interlude between the Sanctus and Benedictus in Beethoven's Missa solemnis. It then becomes a hymn of prayer, and the chorale after Phase I appears in an extended form to conclude the piece.