The Broken Note
by David Miguel (1979 - )
Ref. ava120822
For Solo Trumpet in C
Encomenda da Antena 2 / RTP
para o Prémio Jovens Músicos 2012
War has been absent from Europe for an
unusually large period of time as a widespread
conflict. Its return would mean both a threat to
democracy and liberty. But History provides
useful examples we should always preserve. In
Krakow, a trumpeter kept the city under
surveillance from the tower of Mariacki
Church of Saint Mary, signaling the hours with
a specific tune, the "Hejnal Mariacki". In
1241, at the glance of the tartar-mongol, the
trumpeter of Krakow decides to play the
Hejnal repeatedly, which was the only way he
knew to warn the city about the impending
invasion. His heroic act saved the city, but he
did not had the same destiny. An arrow
crossed his throat, putting an end to his
unceasing repetition of the Hejnal. In homage,
the same tune is still played at the same time
and place, but the melody is suddenly stopped
on a broken note. On what concerns formal
aspects, this piece is based on the principle of
repetition as a way to alert the listener to an
uprising conflict. In this time of growing
tension, it is also my homage to all those who,
through out history, have sacrificed themselves
for progress and human values. To them I
dedicate the broken note.