Three Episodes for Brass Quintet

A three-movement work composed in 1975 in a dramatic, neo-impressionist idiom.  The third episode is very difficult.  . The ScoreFlipper recording features Jack Gale on trombones and his brother David Gale on trumpet.

Performance Notes

The first episode (Redaction) begins with a very bright tempo with the half note at 98. At bar 6 the tempo is one half of Tempo I. The pulse should be strictly maintained so Tempo I can return at bar 27 as double time.

The second episode (Reflection) is fairly slow and at a low volume level except for a slight crescendo into bar 13. The half notes and quarter notes should be very sustained and firm but subdued in volume.

The third episode (Refraction) is to be played as fast as possible while maintaining reasonable accuracy. The section at bar 12 should be as continuous sounding as possible, creating the sound of one unbroken line.  Downbeat accents may be necessary for precision, but ideally, the whole passage should be unaccented. The last bar is longer for some players and constantly changes as the repeats overlap. After two or three repeats at standard volume, each player begins a decrescendo to silence.