Description

Leos Janacek's ‘Sokol Fanfare’ is a large brass fanfare featuring 11 different trumpet parts, 3 of which are Bass Trumpets. The fanfare was first written for the Sokol Slet, a gymnastic event in Prague in the mid-19th century. Soon, it became the opening and last movements of Janacek's large-scale work, ‘Sinfonietta’. This famous fanfare features an opening motive that is constantly ringing throughout the piece. The piece develops a growing momentum with more voices adding and altering the original first statement. In "Sokol Alterations", the piece inverses the idea from its original source material. While the original piece builds momentum, ‘Sokol Alterations’ diminishes creating a slowing effect. The motives are also become less strict with tempo as the piece plays out. This changes the bold quality of the Janacek's work and creates intimate emotions instead.