Focus and Fade (1992)

On one level Focus and Fade could be heard as consisting of a substantial introduction, a fast aggressive movement, a more romantic second movement and a final cortège, which together form a continuous whole, and which were also designed at the time to increase the expressive range of my musical language. However, all three movements are present in embryonic form right from the start of the introduction, and each emerges ever more strongly until it dominates and then fades as the next movement comes into focus.

To emphasis this process, each movement has its own intervallic repertoire and tempo, and during its emergence each is dominated by a particular percussion group which moves from unturned to tuned. The first movement employs metal percussion, the second wooden and the third skin, most notably the bass drum. Each movement also traces its own particular trajectory, the first starting in the middle register and expanding outward, the second starting high and descending, while the third starts low and ascends.

The idea of focusing and fading different musical materials also extends to more local levels within the piece and was inspired by the imagery of Yevgeny Zamyatin’s short story The Dragon and the narrative construction of Thomas Mann’s novel Buddenbrooks, though my work in no way relates to the actual content of either piece of literature.

Focus and Fade was written between 1991 and 1992 in response to a commission from the BBC and premiered on 11 May 1992 at the Royal Festival Hall by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sir Andrew Davis.

Philip Grange