West Wind - Oliver Waespi

West Wind is structured in three parts, each bearing a subtitle drawn from poems of Emily Bronte (1818-1848). Poetry of the Romantic period, Bronte's in particular, often presents a gentle, almost innocent surface, beneath which lies the most elemental and volatile emotional forces capable of erupting at any moment.Accordingly, the opening movement, West-wind, in the glory and pride!, begins with a mellow, warm soundscape, underpinned by lightly pulsating patterns, almost like an aquarelle. Gradually however, the music transitions into far rougher, forward-driven gestures - turbulent, restless, and at times unpredictable, much like the west wind itself.The ensuing Adagio reflects on the poem Stars, in which a fundamental tension between exaltation and regret, another recurring feature of Bronte's poetry, is palpable throughout. Introspective solo and chamber music statements give way to a broad ecstatic sound field involving the full ensemble, before finally receding into a solitary euphonium soliloquy.The final movement, Wild words of an ancient song, takes the form of an extended rondo-scherzo, driven by virtuosic, perpetual motion. The sense of relentless pursuit bears a nod to The Boy on the Moor by the German poet Annette von Droste-Hulshoff, a contemporary of Bronte who explored similar narratives, albeit from a different perspective.Although certain core musical elements recur - pulsating patterns, a chorale, a tone row - the work is guided less by systematic symphonic development than by an intuitive stream of variants. These generate a sequence of metamorphoses that illuminate the material from shifting vantage points, projecting the emotional landscapes of Romantic poetry into the present day.West Wind was commissioned by the Flowers Band and was first performed under Musical Director Paul Holland, at the 2026 European Brass Band Championships in Linz (AT), where they also became European Champions.

  View Music