I meant it to be a show piece, a concert opener. My compositional intentions continued where they last left off, in this case, my Saxophone Concerto. My primary concern in that piece was to be thematic. Maybe the piece's expression is even more direct than earlier works. I know with Javelin I had a more 'humanistic' approach towards what each individual member of the orchestra would have to play, and in assigning them tasks of the sort they are used to playing, a more traditional sound may have resulted.
Some listeners hear a French influence.
December seems to be heavily influenced by your vocal piece Four Proverbs . Actually there is a direct link. I had to throw together some ideas for the Public Theater's production of The Merchant of Venice . I really like the haunting clarinet melody. I wrote a bastardized version of that opening strain and then all of the rest of the necessary music followed.