Jan van der Roost

Manhattan Pictures

In this colourful composition, Jan van der Roost recreates the energetic and multi-racial city life in Manhattan, using four contrasting movements. The opening movement is rather short and rhytmical. In the second 'Picture', a variety of musical entities accumulate into a coloured 'sound curtain', on top of which the brass section presents a broad theme. In contrast to the two previous movements, the third movement is exremely quiet, featuring the first flute, clarinet an oboe in broad melodies. Again, the orchestration plays an essential role. Following on a majestic 'tutti' (almost 'movie-like....) the serenity of the very beginning reappears. Finally, the nervousness and dynamic style of the two first movements come back in an exciting apotheosis with rich and sometimes surprising instrumentation which explores the multiple possibilities of the large symphonic wind band to the full.