Spiriti, Thomas Doss. Brass Band

Spiriti, Thomas Doss, Brass Band

A Bach chorale stands at the centre of this work (Für deinen Thron tret´ ich hiermit). Anton Bruckner was one of Johann Sebastian Bachs great admirers. His work is full of the spirit of that musical genius.

For Thomas Doss, it was Bruckners spirit that always seemed to be with him while working on Spiriti. Bruckners spirit is captured in this composition by a quote from the chorale of his Fifth Symphony at the end of the piece.

The introduction, written in the style of a funeral march, already displays the first fragments of the chorale. Like splinters they are strewn throughout the first Allegro, combining and recombining in turbulent, powerful tutti passages.

As the music becomes more rambunctious, the Bach-like fragments begin to swirl around each other, only to be scattered once more.The middle-section is of a more pensive nature. T

he Religioso character gives the audience time to reflect. The music is meditative and the quarter-note (or crotchet) elements mimic a soul that is yearning and crying out.

The third part of the piece finally leads, by way of minimalist elements and the fragments mentioned earlier, to a magnificent presentation of the Bach chorale. As the church bells ring out, one can almost hear the great masters presiding at the organ.

Testpiece European Brass Band Championship 2010 in Linz. A-Section