Dogfight is partially inspired by John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine, in that it is a short orchestral flurry rather than a long, drawn-out development. The aim of the piece was to pack in as much textural variety and colour as possible, and this has been done by having a varied approach to instrumentation, orchestration and rhythm. A prominent feature of Dogfight are the short cadenza-like melodies for the bass recorder, which provide brief moments of stasis and a complete contrast in timbre to the driving tutti passages. Further variety is explored in the use of brass mutes in bar 90, and the extensive use of percussion, featured in a soli section at bar 168.

Harmonically, the piece begins by using the notes of C-sharp Hungarian minor, before moving into more chromatic territory as the texture grows. Further sections remain loosely tied to the Hungarian minor scale, transposed to other tonal centres.

The piece follows a binary structure, though both prominently feature the same theme that first appears in the horns at bar 10. There is a moment of rebirth at bar 93 where a solo trumpet declares this theme, before the re-orchestrated rendition comes in at bar 98. This initiates the waltzing B section, though the rhythm is often sent askew by syncopation in the orchestra and shifting metres. The piece ends with the main theme played tutti four times, rising chromatically.

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c. 6 minutes