Buss, HJ :: Night Flight

This riveting work showcases the piccolo and clarinet, exploring their different registers and colors. It provides exciting contrasts between lyrical and technical sections. Night Flight was commissioned for the 1999 National Flute Association Convention in Atlanta.

This colorful and engaging composition is programmatic in that it is a musical depiction (in general terms) of an eventful flight of a jetliner. Mm. 1 through 38 represent the leisurely taxi of the aircraft as it moves into position on the runway. During mm. 39 - 50 the heavy plane builds momentum as it powers down the runway. The lyrical and lilting section from measures 51 through 137 suggests a smooth flight through the moonlit, starry sky. The final portion of the composition is characterized by drama and excitement as the airliner descends through heavy clouds and engages a ferocious thunderstorm. The turbulent music gains in intensity as the plane approaches the runway and concludes with an exhilarating tough down on the final beat of the work. This final section (mm. 138 - end) is strongly influenced by jazz.