Piece 6: Waspspsps

Today’s piece is brought to you by the Specially Spiteful Stinging Symphony of Nature, featuring the busy bumbling buzzers, whimsical waspspsps, carefree caroling crustacean-like creatures and hoarse cornet-playing horned hornets dressed in pretty yellow jackets!

Well, not quite. But that’s the gist.

This piece is in recognition of all those bumbling buzzers summer has brought, entitled “The Wasps I. Overture” by composer is Ralph Vaughan Williams, performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Pop! It opens with frantic buzzing…

The dynamics create the feeling of a swarm of insects flying around your head, as you are trying to duck each time they approach.

Soon the entire orchestra joins in, uniting all kinds of insects. First there’s the pompous entrance of praying mantises, making known their presence with a loud fanfare. Then the woodwinds and brass grow silent for the delicate melody of butterflies to resonate in the strings. The full orchestra returns with the anxious, boisterous sound of the wasps.

         Fading to pianissimo, the theme drastically changes to something mysterious and even peaceful, that you could easily get lost in the gentle air of it. At first, anticipation prevents you from relaxing in the music. However, as it progresses, you find yourself feeling a little sleepy…and sleepier…and sleepier…ah, the song must be coming to an end…

Nope!

You jump in your seat when you recognize the same “POP” you heard at the beginning!

(Williams was probably laughing at the audience by now…)

Now things feel even more rushed and anxious than before, as if it is building up to something big. The wasps are getting antsy…

Ah! There’s that theme! Not to mention those arrogant praying mantises…but once again, they are followed by the graceful butterflies.

Now, however, there is something new happening. The dynamics drop, and the cellos drive the gradual crescendo while the woodwinds and violins simply ride along with them. Following, the strings and woodwinds play simultaneous yet different melodies, which are leading to the conclusion…

And there’s the theme again, building, building, building! And….

Ba-dum!...

Dum!..........

Dum!...............

BA-DA-DUM!!!!!!

This is just an immensely dynamic, lovely composition. I had the privilege of playing this piece with a small orchestra last fall, and it was one of the most fun music experiences I’ve ever had.

I hope you have enjoyed listening to The Waspspsps—waspsps—I really can’t pronounce that.

Anyway, hope you like it as much as I do, and please like, comment, and share!