A lenda do Curupira - the legend of Curupira
Curupira is a character from the Brazilian mythology. He is said to be the protector of the animals and the forest and attacks everyone who doesn't treat nature with respect. He's a dwarf-like figure with fiery red hair and his feet turned backwards thus creating confusion about his whereabouts.
The piece is a symphonic poem retelling this legend and is highly influenced by Brazilian popular music. It was written for the Swiss National Brass Band Championships in Montreux and received further performances in New Zealand, China, the Netherlands, Austria and Germany.
A lenda do Curupira was shortlisted for the 4 Bars Rest, a famous British brass band magazine, Test Piece of the Year award in 2014.
The piece was recorded by Thomas Clamor and the European Brass Ensemble and appears on their album Diversity, published with the German classic label Genuin.
Phoenicia - Symphonic Sketches for Brass Band
Phoenicia was commissioned for the 20th World Band Festival in Lucerne and served as the set test piece of the Swiss Open Contest.
It is loosely based on the mythological figure of the phoenix, the bird that arises from its own ashes. It follows a symphonic structure with three independent movements, fast - slow - fast.
During the day, the piece received 10 performances, truly a dream of any composer!
"... ein attraktives, originell schillerndes Werk. Dessen erster Satz wir mit einer rückwärts laufenden Fanfare eröffnet und verdichtet sich über Schlängelbewegungen zu dissonanten Akkorden, die hohe Ansprüche an die Klangkultur stellen. Ganz anders galt dies auch für den mystisch schimmernden Mittelsatz, während der aggressiv tänzelnde dritte den Bands Gelegenheit bot, alle Register zu ziehen."
Urs Mattenberger, Luzerner Zeitung