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Mare Tranquillitatis (Saxophone)

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Roger Zare

Roger Zare


Subtitle: For Saxophone Ensemble


General Info

Year: 2007 / 2012
Duration: c. 7:05
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: String orchestra
Publisher: Murphy Music Press
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $60.00


Instrumentation

Full Score
E-flat Soprano Saxophone I-II
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone I-II
E-flat Baritone Saxophone I-II
Bass Saxophone (optional)


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

I was commissioned in the summer of 2007 by Jeffrey Bishop to write a short piece for his string orchestra at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School in Kansas City. They premiered the string version of this work on February 12, 2008. In 2012, a consortium of wind ensembles around the United States commissioned a transcription of this work for band, and it was premiered throughout the 2012-2013 season.

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.

- Program Note by composer


Media


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project


Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music


All Wind Works


Resources

  • Roger Zare website
  • Zare, R. (2006). Mare Tranquillitatis : (Sea of Tranquility) : For Saxophone Ensemble [score]. Roger Zare: [Evanston, Ill.].
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