The Brass Variations
Here you can see/hear the full statement of the theme which feeds the entire work. In keeping with the theme’s simplicity (see the Thematic Fragments page), this statement is relatively short (about a minute) and consists mostly of restatements of the theme — by 1st trumpet, then trombone, then again by 1st trumpet, more triumphantly and with full accompaniment. Near the end of this section, things become fragmented as the theme gets passed through the other instruments. As is my habit, the tonal centers tend to wander a bit, arriving suddenly on E♭ Major at the start of the first full variation.
Jeffrey L. Jones, Composer 