Título

For Brass Quintet

Título is a brass quintet piece composed by Christopher Mesa. The title, Título, is Spanish for “Title.” I gave it this name in terms of it meaning something of having authority and honor.

This piece is composed predominantly in the B Phrygian mode. There is not an exact form to this piece, but there are three different themes which feature a new variation each time. There are rhythmic build ups and exchanges that shift throughout all the instruments. The use of an ostinato occurs when the third theme is present. It can be found in either the tuba, trombone, or first trumpet. The use of syncopation is important because it is combined with staccato and accent markings to give the music a snappy and powerful sound. In some sections, there is the use of repeated delayed melodies which gives the music a slightly off pulse feel. When the first theme is present, the time signatures are constantly shifting between 4/4, 3/4, and 2/4 in order for the melody to land on the strong pulses.

Live Performance