Unhinged Carnival Fanfare Machine

Unhinged Carnival Fanfare Machine is a boisterous, brash, concert-opener sort of a piece. It is built out of repeating bits of twisted fanfares, odd arpeggios, and off-kilter grooves that are layered, juxtaposed, and re-arranged in different ways, forming an ever-shifting kaleidoscope of riffs and colors. After a climactic build-up, the clarinets introduce a more lyrical, contemplative mood, with soaring violin melodies and steady percussion grooves — but also sinister trombone glissandi lurking in the background. Bassoons in low thirds interrupt and the music is swept back into the mad carnival of the opening.