Mare Tranquillitatis for wind octet by Roger Zare

Performed by Nomad Session www.nomadsessi...
For more information or to purchase parts, please visit www.rogerzare.c.... This version of Mare also has some flexible instrumentation options:
Flute
Oboe/English Horn (OR Oboe with no doubling, OR Soprano Saxophone OR Clarinet)
Clarinet (OR Alto Saxophone)
Bassoon (OR Baritone Saxophone)
Trumpet in Bb
Horn in F (OR Tenor Saxophone)
Trombone (OR Euphonium)
Tuba
Mare Tranquillitatis translates to "Sea of Tranquility," and is the famous location on the moon where Apollo 11 landed and the first man set foot on the lunar surface. The music seeks to capture a dichotomy of emotions - tranquil beauty and restless isolation. All of the musical material is derived from only two ideas - the descending fourth heard in the opening bar, and the flowing and surging melody heard not long after. These two ideas trade back and forth within a contrapuntal texture, swelling and flowing as they interact with each other. The music recedes into a quieter realm and a quartet of soloists emerges, juxtaposing the lush full textures with a delicate and intimate passage.
After many peaks and dips, the emotional arc of the piece culminates in the long-awaited return of the second theme. It grows and transforms into a sweeping gesture, bringing closure to the pent-up tension from before. What follows is an epilogue, and the piece ends with one final tender moment with the solo quartet.
The string version of Mare Tranquillitatis was commissioned by Jeffrey Bishop and the Shawnee Mission Northwest High School. The wind ensemble version was commissioned by a consortium of 29 wind ensembles around the United States. This wind octet version was transcribed for Nomad Session and is available for purchase at www.rogerzare.c...

[@harrisonjcollins]

Congrats on this beautiful arrangement, Dr. Zare!

[@rogerjzare]

Thanks, Harrison!