Tempestas (2017)

for solo trumpet and trumpet sextet

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The idea for the piece came to me during Hurricane Irma, which rolled through the “Sunshine” State in September 2017. I wanted to write something that captured the ominous, yet beautiful nature of this massive storm and all hurricanes. Though sometimes incredibly dangerous and destructive, I also find myself in awe of these storms. In Roman mythology, TEMPESTAS was the goddess of storms.

 

I think of the opening cascading sixteenth note idea, which is very prominent in the piece, as a sudden crack of thunder. Many of the melodies found in the piece are based in some way or another on this opening motif. The composition as a whole is very threatening and intense for the most part, with the exception being at measures 77-88, where the eye of the hurricane is depicted. 

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TEMPESTAS was commissioned by John Almeida (former trumpet professor at the University of Central Florida) and Brian Dell/Dennis Laorenza (H.B. Plant High School in Tampa, FL.).

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AVAILABLE THROUGH TRIPLO PRESS!

*Recording performed and produced by Jim Olcott.