Red Fury

Description

Flute, Oboe, Clarinet in Bb 1, Clarinet in Bb 2, Bass Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Trumpet in Bb 1, Trumpet in Bb 2, Horn, Trombone, Bassoon, Euphonium, Bb Euphonium, Tuba, Mallets, Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Timpani, Percussion 1, Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Hi-hat Cymbal, Percussion 2, Congas, Percussion 3, Tambourine, Whip, Gong, Percussion 4, Crash Cymbals, Suspended Cymbal — Red Fury is a piece of program music written to depict (in hilariously dramatic fashion) the epic battle begun when a man doing yardwork accidentally steps onto a fire ant hill. The following measure-by-measure description goes into detail on what the music is meant to represent as the ants fight off this giant invader.Beginning to m.16: THE SETUP. The fire ants are peacefully going about their daily routine. The back-and-forth eighth notes presented in the different instruments depict the ants scurrying around doing their mundane tasks. (This musical idea will be used throughout the piece to represent the ants moving about.)A (mm. 17-24): THE TRAGEDY. The music begins an ominous build as an unwitting human working in his yard wanders closer and closer to the anthill. The drums build the tension with the eighth-note heartbeat-sounding rhythm as he wanders closer and closer until chaos and horror is unleashed as he steps on the anthill in m. 23.B (mm. 25-30): THE AFTERMATH. After the human lifts his foot off of the anthill, chaos ensues as a horde of ants pours out of the anthill in response. This is represented by the alternating eighth notes beginning in the flutes and mallet percussion, and descending throughout the ensemble as the ants exit the hill and survey the situation.C (mm. 31-40): THE GATHERING OF FORCES. A resolute military march sounds as the ants gather their surviving forces and plan their attack on the human. The response must be swift. The fallen must be avenged.D (mm. 41-45): THE FANFARE. After a brief pause at the end of the previous section, the tempo increases as a fanfare rings out signaling the attack. (Clarinets have trumpet cues if needed.)E (mm. 46-55): THE FIRST WAVE. The ants attack! The battle begins. The percussionist playing the whip should be prominent. This represents the human slapping at the ants as some have now begun to sting him. The accidentals in the various instruments add dissonance and contribute to the feeling of chaos. (Hit the accents hard and release on 2 and 4 as indicated in m. 48)F (mm. 56-63): THE SNEAK ATTACK. A group of ants break off while the man is distracted and sneak around to execute a flanking maneuver.G (mm. 64-69): THE BATTLE RAGES. The music regains intensity as the battle continues to rage. The whip sound is featured again as the man struggles to run away while slapping at the ants on him.H (mm. 70-75): THE FINAL PUSH. The sneak attack succeeds as the second group rejoins the first and combines for a final assault.I (mm. 76-81): VICTORY!. The ants are victorious as the music swells into triumphant major chords. The man has retreated to his house. The battle is won.J (mm. 82-82-85) – BUT WAIT!! – Staccato descending notes depict the man running back to the safety of his home. He slams his door closed—represented by the fortissimo percussion hit in m. 84. The closing notes in the woodwinds/mallets and the soft rolls on the suspended cymbal and gong depict the man peering out the window at the scene of the battle…. Planning his response.…..TO BE CONTINUED? In Red Fury, the frantic battle between a man and a fire ant hill is portrayed with dramatic and humorous flair. From the initial calm of the ants going about their business to the chaotic battle that follows, the music uses fast-paced rhythms, clashing dissonances, and vibrant percussion to create a sense of tension and urgency. Each section of the battle is characterized by different musical elements, such as a military march for the ants' preparation and whip-like sounds for the human’s attempts to fend them off, ending in the victorious ants' triumph.

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