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Blue Marble, The

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Julie Giroux

Julie Giroux


Subtitle: Symphony No. VI


General Info

Year: 2022
Duration: c. 23:10
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Musica Propria
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $520.00   |   Score Only (print) - $90.00
Individual movements may be purchased separately.


Movements

1. The Big Blue Marble - 5:30
2. Voices in Green - 5:00
3. Let There Be Life - 12:00


Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Contra-Bassoon
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Contra Alto Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Piccolo Trumpet
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Piano
Harp
Timpani
Percussion, including:

  • Bass Drum
  • Cabasa
  • Chimes
  • Congas
  • Crash Cymbals
  • Crotales
  • Egg Shaker
  • Gong
  • Hi-Hat
  • Marimba
  • Orchestra Chimes
  • Snare Drum
  • Taiko Drum
  • Tambourine
  • Timbales
  • Triangle
  • Vibraphone
  • Wind Chimes
  • Xylophone

Electronic track
Film


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

Movement I. The Big Blue Marble. It is often said that the first full imagine of Earth, “Blue Marble”, taken by Apollo 17 in 1972, was the first full picture of the planet Earth. The picture is actually upside down. It happened sometime between 4:59:05 and 5:08:14 hours after Apollo's launch as they traveled up to 25,000 miles an hour. It is the most reproduced picture in history. It became painstakingly clear to humanity just how small and vulnerable our one and only home actually is. This movement celebrates that home in a variety of ways; think of it as an abbreviated introduction to planet Earth through music.

Movement II. Voices in Green. I spent hours simply listening to the recordings of the Amazon jungle by the world-renowned sound engineer George Vlad. The recordings were made during the rainy season when humidity is at its highest and birds are the most vocal. The sounds transport you into the heart of the jungle which feels incredibly, alive. The exotic calls of the birds and the echoes from other birds of the same species, the insects, the frogs and the rain; you can practically feel and smell the rain. The rain forest has its own music. The density of growth with every shade of green, is the backdrop for this beautiful, strange opera.

I knew I wanted to write music to those sounds. I composed Voices in Green with the Amazon jungle sounds playing as my audio backdrop. It influenced every note and phrase. In my mind and heart, I was there, adding my voice to theirs. Voices in Green can be performed strictly on its own…Think of this movement as a concert taking place in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest.

Movement III. Let There Be Life. Violence, death, murder, birth, and life: I wanted to capture that commonality with music in the third and final movement. There is a recurring theme throughout the finale. It evolves, much like life on Earth. It moves through the music, transporting us from one musical setting to the next, ending in a majestic, grandiose way.

The miracle of Earth is life. It is the fragile, silken thread that holds existence together. As with the famous Blue Marble photograph, I hope this symphony reminds people just how frail and beautiful Earth is.

I hope The Blue Marble fills hearts and minds with a renewed loved for our planet, our one and only home. Earth is the one thing we all have in common. It does not belong to us. We belong to it. It is our only home and we should always treat it as such with every generation leaving it healthier and happier than the way they found it.

- Program Note by composer


Commissioned by the Metropolitan Wind Symphony, Lewis J Buckley, music director, in commemoration of their fiftieth season. Symphony No. VI premiered with the Metropolitan Winds without film on May 1st, 2022.


Media


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge) Wind Ensemble (Damon Talley, conductor) - 27 April 2023
  • University of North Texas (Denton) Wind Symphony (Eugene Migliaro Corporon, conductor) - 27 April 2023
  • Dallas (Tx.) Winds (Jerry Junkin, conductor) - 21 February 2023
  • University of Minnesota (Minneapolis) Wind Ensemble (Emily Threinen, conductor) - 6 February 2023
  • University of Texas (Austin) Wind Ensemble (Jerry Junkin, conductor) – 29 January 2023
  • Lone Star Wind Orchestra (Dallas, Tx.) (Eugene Migliaro Corporon, conductor) - 29 January 2023
  • O'Fallon Township (Ill.) High School Wind Ensemble (Melissa Gustafson-Hinds, conductor; Phil Wilhelm, harp - 20 December 2022 (2022 Midwest Clinic)
  • El Paso (Tx.) Winds (Brad Genevro, conductor) – 21 July 2022 *Premiere Performance*


Works for Winds by this Composer

Adaptable Music


All Wind Works


Resources

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