Bad King Wenceslas is a playful twist on the familiar Christmas carol Good King Wenceslas. Throughout the piece, rhythmic and melodic motifs from the carol are presented in a dark, mysterious context. The introduction features an ostinato in the flute, building in momentum before revealing the melody in double time in the lower winds. The piece progresses with alternating eighth-note patterns and a variety of thematic development, culminating in a canon that features different instrument section...