Petals of Fire
General Info
Year: 2017
Duration: 5:25
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: First Edition Press
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - Rental; Score Only - $70.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III-IV
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III-IV
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Piano
Celeste
Harp
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV, including:
- Bass Drum
- Crash Cymbals
- Glockenspiel
- Gong (low, tuned)
- Marimba
- Snare Drum
- Suspended Cymbal
- Tam-Tam
- Xylophone
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Petals of Fire is a fierce and colorful rhapsody inspired by American artist Cy Twombly’s 1989 painting of the same title. Part of the work was adapted from a movement of my Concerto for Orchestra. I’ve always been interested in learning how artists mix different styles and techniques to create a unique, new look. Inspired by Twombly’s attempt to combine text and color to express himself visually (literally, words are part of his painting, much like what Chinese painters did during the Song dynasty), I, as a composer, wanted to create a fusion of musical styles, harmony, and timbre, using a large wind ensemble. In a way, everyone in the ensemble is a “petal”: together, the fire glows, disappears, and dances.
Petals of Fire was commissioned by Michigan State University Wind Symphony and Director of Bands Kevin Sedatole on the occasion of the ensemble’s performance at the 2017 CBDNA National Convention.
- Program Note by composer
Grammy-nominated Chinese-American composer Zhou Tian (b. 1981) seeks inspiration from different cultures and strives to mix them seamlessly into a musically satisfying combination for performers and audiences alike. He is currently an associate professor of composition at Michigan State University.
Petals of Fire is a fierce and colorful rhapsody inspired by American artist Cy Twombly’s 1989 painting of the same title. Twombly’s attempt to combine text and color to express himself visually led the composer to create a fusion of musical styles, harmony, and timbre, using a large wind ensemble. In a way, everyone in the ensemble is a “petal”: together, the fire glows, disappears, and dances.
- Program Note from Texas A&M Wind Symphony concert program, 18 November 2018
Media
- Audio CD: University of Northern Iowa Wind Ensemble (Danny Galyen, conductor)
- Audio flash drive: University of Central Florida (Orlando) Wind Ensemble (Scott Lubaroff, conductor) – 2020
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
- University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire Wind Symphony (John R. Stewart, conductor) - 13 October 2023
- University of Texas (Austin) Wind Symphony (Drew Eary, conductor) - 13 February 2023
- University of California, Los Angeles, (UCLA) Wind Ensemble (Travis J. Cross, conductor) – 10 February 2023
- Georgia State University (Atlanta) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Robert J. Ambrose, conductor) - 26 January 2023 (GMEA In-Service conference, Athens, Ga.)
- University of Kentucky (Lexington) Wind Symphony (John Cody Birdwell, conductor) - 24 April 2022
- Central Michigan University (Mt. Pleasant) Symphonic Wind Ensemble (Christopher C. Chapman, conductor) – 7 April 2022 (CBDNA 2022 North Central Conference, Madison, Wisc.)
- Northern Arizona University (Flagstaff) Wind Symphony (Stephen Meyer, conductor) – 18 March 2022 (CBDNA 2022 Western/Northwestern Conference, Tacoma, Wash.)
- University of West Georgia (Carrollton) Wind Ensemble (Josh Byrd, conductor) - 12 November 2021
- University of Cincinnati (Ohio) College-Conservatory of Music Wind Symphony (Brendan Boyle, conductor) - 1 October 2021
- University of Central Florida (Orlando) Symphonic Band (Scott Lubaroff, conductor) – 27 February 2020
- University of Central Florida (Orlando) Wind Ensemble (Scott Lubaroff, conductor) – 21 February 2020 (CBDNA 2020 Southern Division Conference, Natchitoches, La.)
- Eastman School of Music (Rochester, N.Y.) Wind Orchestra (Mark Scatterday, conductor) – 17 February 2020
- University of Arkansas (Fayetteville) Wind Ensemble (Christopher Knighten, conductor) – 25 November 2019
- The Ohio State University (Columbus) Wind Symphony (Russel C. Mikkelson, conductor) – 24 November 2019
- University of Miami (Fla.) Frost Wind Ensemble (Tina DiMeglio, conductor) – 27 October 2019
- The Hartt Wind Ensemble (West Hartford, Conn.) (James Jackson, conductor) – 30 March 2019
- University of Washington (Seattle) Wind Ensemble (Timothy Salzman, conductor) – 23-31 March 2019, China Tour
- Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA) Wind Symphony (Stephen Kerr, conductor) – 21 March 2019
- Texas A&M University (College Station) Wind Symphony (Timothy Rhea, conductor) - 14 February 2019 (2019 TMEA Conference, San Antonio)
- Michigan State University (East Lansing) Wind Symphony (Kevin Sedatole, conductor) – 16 March 2017 (CBDNA 2017 National Conference, Kansas City, Mo.) *Premiere Performance*
Works for Winds by This Composer
- Nocturne (arr. Thornton and Zhou) (2021)
- Petals of Fire (2017)
- Seeker's Scherzo (2016/2018)
- Sinfonia (2022)
- Trace (tr. Holoweiko and Zhou) (2021)
Resources
- King, Michael T. "Petals of Fire." In Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 12, Compiled and edited by Andrew Trachsel, 1031-1038. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2021.
- Perusal score
- Zhou Tian website Accessed 29 March 2022