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Second Time Is Forever, The

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Daniel Montoya Jr

Daniel Montoya Jr


The title of this work is actually written ...the second time is forever. The lower case and ellipsis are intentional.


General Info

Year: 2015
Duration: c. 8:35
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Montoya Music
Cost: Score and Parts Available December 2016   |   Score Only (print) - $40.00


Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute I-II-III-Iv
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III-IV
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III-IV
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
Piano
Timpani
Percussion I-VIII, including:

  • Bass Drum
  • Bells
  • Chimes
  • Crotales
  • Marimba
  • Suspended Cymbal
  • Tam-Tam
  • Vibraphone


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

Montoya offers the following notes on …the second time is forever (2015):

Is it possible to capture the essence of a person, to embody all that is beautiful and poignant about life, in an ephemeral musical moment? I have attempted this in …the second time is forever. Dedicated to the Wessels family, this work celebrates the life of Daniel Wessels, beloved son and brother, who passed away in 2015.

The music begins with a lone clarinet entering on D – a tone specifically chosen because of its connection to Daniel’s name. The melody eventually expands to two notes, D and A. While the lone D itself signifies Daniel, the D to A suggests the sound of someone else, perhaps someone in the family, calling out his name. In a manner reminiscent of Aaron Copland’s scoring and melodic elegance in Appalachian Spring, I repeat these two pitches and broaden the melody by reaching down to G and F#, never once arriving on a simultaneous D Major triad, only hinting at it. What follows is a complete statement and development of Daniel’s theme in the winds and brass, leading to a climax. The metallic percussion cascades in a descending shimmer on D, symbolizing a crashing down of sadness and loss; the opening singsong statement of D to A and Daniel’s theme are reasserted, but this time the mood is one of hushed, prayer-like reverence.

The B section opens with undulating motivic material in the clarinets and marimba, a scoring indebted to the soundscape of Impressionist composer Claude Debussy. The orchestration suggests three different yet interconnected levels: the deepest, lowest pitches in the brass and piano symbolize Daniel’s physical body and his presence on Earth; the gently rolling waves in the clarinet choir and marimba represent the sadness, memories, and profound sense of loss experienced by Daniel’s family; and the legato pentatonic flute melody, which is in the highest register, offers a musical manifestation of the heavenly realm. At the end of the B section, the metallic percussion shimmers once again, this time ascending from Earth to the eternal sphere. The D in the solo clarinet reappears, initiating a transition, and the next portion of music, the C section, seems heroic, confident, and hopeful; it is almost triumphant yet bittersweet.

The final section begins simply with solo piano, the instrument of Steve, Daniel’s father. The harmonies enter tentatively as if representing a parent openly questioning the whereabouts of his child. The tuba, Daniel’s instrument, answers off-stage, offering reassurance and singing a poetic, gentle lullaby with the piano. In the final moments, the other family members’ instruments join in – trombone for Anna, horn for Micah, and trumpet for his mom, Melanie – and the piece concludes with all five instruments harmonizing a plagal cadence, a progression commonly associated with the final Amen statement in hymns and church music.

- Program Note from University of North Texas Wind Ensemble concert program, 28 April 2016


Commissioned by a consortium led by Jeremy W. Spicer and SASi, The Leadership People, LLC. Dedicated to Steve, Melanie, and Anna Wessels in memory of Daniel Turner Wessels.

- Program Note from score


Commercial Discography

None discovered thus far.


Media


State Ratings

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Performances

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Works for Winds by this Composer


Resources

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