Diamond Tide
General Info
Year: 2015
Duration: c. 7:25
Difficulty: III+ (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Viet Cuong
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $130.00; (digital) - $110.00 | Score Only (print) - $20.00
Movements
1. Moderato – 2:50
2. Allegro – 4:15
Instrumentation
Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-VI, including:
- Bass Drum
- Chimes
- China Cymbals
- Crash Cymbals
- Crotales
- Crystal Glass
- Flexatone
- Glockenspiel
- Marimba
- Sizzle Cymbal
- Suspended Cymbal
- Tam-Tam
- Tom-Tom (2)
- Triangle
- Vibraphone
- Wind Chimes
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
A 2010 article published in Nature Physics details an experiment in which scientists were able to successfully melt a diamond and, for the first time, measure the temperature and pressure necessary to do so. When diamonds are heated to very high temperatures, they don’t melt; they simply turn into graphite, which then melts (and the thought of liquid graphite isn’t nearly as appealing or beautiful as liquid diamond.) Therefore, the addition of extremely high pressure -- 40 million times the pressure we feel on earth at sea level -- is crucial to melt a diamond.
The extreme temperature and pressure used in this experiment are found on Neptune and Uranus, and scientists therefore believe that seas of liquid diamond are possible on these two planets. Oceans of diamond may also account for these planets’ peculiar magnetic and geographic poles, which do not line up like they do here on earth. Lastly, as the scientists were melting the diamonds, they saw floating shards of solid diamond forming in the pools -- just like icebergs in our oceans. Imagine: distant planets with oceans of liquid diamond filled with bergs of sparkling solid diamonds drifting in the tide...
These theories are obviously all conjecture, but this alluring imagery provided heaps of inspiration for Diamond Tide, which utilizes the “melting” sounds of metallic water percussion and trombone glissandi throughout.
The work is in two movements, which may be performed separately.
Heartfelt thanks to Cheryl Floyd, Richard Floyd, the TMEA Region 18 bands, and John Mackey for making this piece possible.
- Program Note by composer
Media
State Ratings
- Texas: IV. Complete
- MusicFest Canada: B400
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- Florida All-State High School Honors Band | FMEA Conference (Ted Shistle, conductor) - 13 January 2024
- Kansas City (Mo.) Wind Symphony (Patricia Cornett, conductor) - 19 November 2023
- OMEA Districts 4 & 7 Viking Band (Birch Browning, conductor) - 18 November 2023 (Cleveland State University)
- Murray (Ky.) State University Symphonic Band (Ashley Shoupe, conductor) - 14 November 2023
- Stephen F. Austin State University (Nacogdoches, Tx.) Symphonic Band (Chris Kaatz, conductor) - 24 October 2023
- Mercer University (Macon, Ga.) Wind Ensemble (Brittan Braddock, conductor) - 4 October 2023
- Smith College (Northampton, Mass.) Wind Ensemble (Meghan MacFadden, conductor) - 4 May 2023
- University of West Alabama (Livingston) Wind Ensemble (Tyler Strickland, conductor) - 25 April 2023
- University of Illinois Chicago Wind Ensemble (Nicholas J. Carlson, conductor) - 19 February 2023
- Association of Concert Bands Convention Band (Santa Fe, N.M.) (Christina A. Muncey, conductor) – 7 May 2022 (ACB 2022 Annual Convention (Santa Fe, New Mexico))
- Texas Tech University (Lubbock) Concert Band (Joel Pagan, conductor) - 29 March 2022
- Luther College (Decorah, Iowa) Varsity Band (Cory Near, conductor) - 29 April 2021
- Millersville (Penn.) University Wind Ensemble (Joe Cernuto, conductor) - 10 April 2021
- Texas Christian University (Fort Worth) Symphonic Band (Malcolm Williams, conductor) - 3 December 2020
- Blythewood (S.C.) High School Wind Symphony (Quintus Wrighten, conductor) - 18 March 2020
- Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge) Symphonic Band (Cliff Croomes, conductor) – 10 March 2020
- MidAmerica Nazarene University (Olathe, Ks.) Concert Band (Luke D. Johnson, conductor) – 8 March 2020
- Appalachian State University (Boone, N.C.) Symphony Band (Jason Gardner, conductor) – 23 February 2020
- South Carolina Band Director's Association Region 2 Senior Band (BJ Diden, conductor) - 22 February 2020
- Temple University (Philadelphia, Penn.) Concert Band (Patricia Cornet, conductor) – 21 November 2019
- University Of North Carolina, Greensboro, University Band (J. Benjamin Jones, Conductor) – 19 November 2019
- Eastman (N.Y.) Community Music School Music Educators Wind Ensemble (Bill Tiberio, conductor) – 20 October 2019
Works for Winds by This Composer
Adaptable Music
- Syzygy (Flex instrumentation) (2019/2020)
All Wind Works
- Autumn Triptych (2023)
- Thu Điếu (2017/2021)
- Bull's-Eye (2019)
- Concerto for Tuba (2019)
- Cymbalisms
- Deciduous (2023)
- Diamond Tide (2015)
- Electric Aroma (2017/2018)
- Extra Fancy
- Full Circle (2019)
- Heart on Fire (2022)
- Howls and Hymns (2017)
- Inland Ocean (2023)
- Lasting Light (2018)
- Moth (2013)
- Moxie (tr. Sedatole) (2018/2021)
- Re(new)al (chamber winds) (2016/2018/2021)
- Re(new)al (wind ensemble) (2016/2018)
- Rule of 3 (2021)
- Second Nature (2022)
- Sound and Smoke (2011)
- Symphony No. 1 (2024)
- Syzygy (2019)
- Syzygy (Flex instrumentation) (2019/2020)
- Thu Điếu. See: Autumn Triptych
- Vital Sines (2022)
Resources
- The Horizon Leans Forward…, compiled and edited by Erik Kar Jun Leung, GIA Publications, 2021, p. 304.
- Moss, Emily A. "Diamond Tide." In Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 11, Compiled and edited by Richard Miles, 340-348. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2018.
- Pease, Andy. "Diamond Tide by Viet Cuong." Wind Band Literature, 20 June 2022. Web. Accessed 20 June 2020
- Viet Cuong website Accessed 14 February 2016