Vaclav Nelhybel was born in Czechoslovakia in 1919. He came to the United States to escape dictatorship in his home country, became a U.S. citizen, and enjoyed a respectable career as a composer. He was most firmly accepted and valued by the concert band community, and a substantial part of his catalogue is written for band.

This triptych was composed for one of the leading such ensembles of the United States, the University of Michigan Symphony Band, at the request of its music director, William Revelli. The ensemble called for is a full American wind band (a "military band" in British terminology).

It is a brilliant work with nicely judged proportions. The two outer fast movements together are just a little longer than the dramatic slow movement. That central movement features imaginative use of piano, celesta, and percussion instruments. Since the two fast movements develop related material, there is a nice structural balance to the work.

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