The work ‘Blue Dawn’, dedicated to the Musikkapelle Gais for its anniversary in 2023, describes the village of Gais (Tauferer Ahrntal/South Tyrol) and its history in three very different short movements.The theme that can be heard at the beginning of the first movement (People – Die Leit – Die Leute) and the way the theme is developed over the three movements, as well as the key itself, refer to the letters of the note names contained in the village name G-AIS(B-flat)-S(E-flat).

In the first movement, the composer describes arriving in the village and the different characters of the villagers. Solo interjections reflect the villagers’ snippets of conversation about times gone by.

The second movement (Silence – Die Ruih – Die Ruhe) describes the beautiful landscape in which the village is embedded and which can be experienced and marvelled at, especially during walks and hikes, including on the neighbouring mountains.

The third and final movement (Blue Dawn – Zmorganz – Die Morgendämmerung) describes the composer’s personal relationship with the village. At the beginning, Augschöll presents us with the bluish wafts of mist that envelop Gais in the early morning in partly dissonant chords. These finally clear, revealing the village and the sunrise. The sun’s rays slowly wind their way through the wafts of mist and finally fall on the constantly animated village, where you will also come across the colour blue again and again (hence the title of the work), which is definitely worth exploring.