OrchestralPony: Overture on Pony Songs

Written back in 2013-14, this piece has had a few different names over the years: Overture on Pony Themes, Overture on Equestrian Themes, but now I've finally settled for Overture on Pony Songs. It is my tribute to the talents of William Anderson and Daniel Ingram, whose wonderful music added so much to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. This work, written as a sonata-form overture, is built largely around Art of the Dress as the 'first subject' and Big Brother Best Friend Forever as the 'second subject', with a few other things thrown in for good measure. It is scored for a large orchestra consisting of piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 french horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, 2 tubas, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, snare drum, glockenspiel, harp and strings. It's played using EastWest Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra. The short introduction opens with a familiar tune (!), before Trixie's fanfare blusters in. There is also a brief reference to Raise this Barn before things settle down for the exposition. Art of the Dress (E flat major) first appears as an oboe solo, then on the violins with the cellos in canon, and then resplendent in the brass with the MLP theme as a counterpoint. The music then shifts almost imperceptibly to D flat major for a lush setting of BBBFF. I have embellished one or two of Daniel Ingram's harmonies here, to make the music more emotional. Next comes the customary development (or free fantasia) section where the themes are varied. After the bassoons mull on the first phrase of Art of the Dress for a moment, D major is reached and Raise this Barn springs into life. Eventually the harmony twists towards B minor before two elements of BBBFF combine. Next comes a surprise: a raucous version of Pinkie's Parasprites Polka pops up out of nowhere as the key slips to B flat major. This gradually gets out of control, and after a few moments of drama and danger the home key of E flat major is restored (in no uncertain terms!) with the return of Trixie's fanfare. The recap now brings back the main material. Art of the Dress returns in an abbreviated form, and BBBFF gets a different treatment as it follows on this time in E flat major. After a big climax and lots of harp glissandi, the coda resurrects Raise this Barn one last time before Trixie's fanfare goes nuts. A brief snippet of the MLP theme (this time in B major) appears almost anti-climactically, only to be swept away in the last few bars. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO HASBRO.