Saratoga, Festive Fanfare for Orchestra

Saratoga was written in celebration of the 40th season of Saratoga Performing Arts Center. The score is dedicated to the incomparable Maestro Charles Dutoit and the superb musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra. The notes of the main musical materials (C, G, A, F, E, D and B) are drawn from the musical letters of Charles Dutoit, Saratoga and Philadelphia (F substituting for Ph, and B being the equivalent of H in German). These seven notes are presented first by a solo flute in a descending melodic line at the beginning of the piece. They are then rearranged to form a hymn-like theme played by a solo French horn, alluding to the style prevalent during the Revolutionary War. The newly composed hymn is often heard in larger note values (augmentation) in the low brass while its variations involving shorter note values (diminution) are used continuously throughout the piece. In the finale, this hymn is played in its entirety by the whole orchestra with a celebratory and festive character that is enhanced by the sounds of bells and cannons.