Creative Minds’ Music’s Musings

When we needed to demonstrate new software features for our management or customers (i.e., mucky-mucks), we would stage dog-and-pony shows that were custom-made for the precisely-targeted edification of the particular recipient. Because of the highly-staged nature of our demonstrations, I often caught myself peevishly whistling a little of what I then thought was a familiar circus-tune called “Entrance of the Clowns.” Later research confirmed to me that the piece was often used in the circus to introduce incoming clowns and that the piece is the military march,  Entrance of the Gladiators (henceforth, EOTG) by Julius Fučík. The piece was also published under the name, “Thunder and Blazes.” Fučík was a citizen of what was then the Austrian-Hungarian Empire during the pre-World-War I timeframe. Fučík composed pieces in multiple styles and genres that included other marches, waltzes and polkas. During his 44-year lifespan he composed more than 400 pieces. “The Florentiner March” and “The Entrance Of The Gladiators” remain his two most-frequently-performed works. I originally began this project in May, 2018. Over nearly a year I have been working on this. Too often I wandered away from the project and didn’t return for weeks and sometimes months. Like many other compositions that are now in the public domain because of their age, I was able to find the conductor’s score for EOTG on the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP) site.  I have found other scores on IMSLP that I used to produce previous projects (Satie Gymnopedies, Adagio for Strings, Pachelbel’s Canon, and Funeral March for a Marionette). The IMSLP score for EOTG is the original score for concert band, not orchestra. I also note that there is no cymbal part included with the other percussion parts. My version of Entrance Of The Gladiators was recorded and edited one instrument part at a time, note by note — listening to the other parts I already recorded, while I record each new part. The Concert Band that I used is a computer virtual-instrument, Garritan Concert and Marching Band 2. This software allows construction of concert and marching bands of different sizes and numbers of performers. For the animation to accompany EOTG, in true circus-animal fashion, I originally planned to film my cat, Buddy, jumping on command from cat-tree to cat-tree for treats to be provided by me. We were making great progress on Buddy’s ability and willingness to perform for me, usually on demand. Unfortunately, last year was a hard one for Buddy. Health problems, surgery and his advancing age left him with diminished strength and desire for treats and jumping, I was forced to abandon my idea for our lucrative future in the circus. Needing to find a replacement video-topic to accompany EOTG, I focused (pun intended) on a group of photos I took earlier last year when I was regrettably forced to remove my massive magnolia tree, “Maggie.” The tree had grown so large that her roots had broken the concrete of my driveway in several places. It had become difficult for me to regularly trim Maggie’s limbs above the road to ensure safe passage by cars, trucks and other utility-vehicles including boats and planes. Mike Berryman and his crew from Berryman Tree Service are featured in the accompanying video as they, in one mesmerizing moment, remove Maggie, my Melbourne magnolia. I hope that you enjoy this presentation.