Offbeat was written as a joke; when Charlie was exasperated playing long unending strings of offbeats eighth notes in the horn parts of Johann Strauss marches, I knew I had to write a piece exploring the nature of offbeats for them. As the piece is mostly through-composed, my treatment of offbeats changes as it progresses, oscillating through different patterns of syncopated rhythms between the horn and piano. I expanded the definition of offbeat to include the adding of a beat in the alternating 3/4 and 4/4 Poco Mosso section, and the unsettling asynchronous hands of the strident offbeat piano chords in the coda. The result is a wild ride that you might find a little ‘offbeat,’ but hopefully is a fun piece to both listen to and perform.
