The Reflecting Desert (2013)

for saxophone quartet

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THE REFLECTING DESERT is inspired by Salar de Uyuni, the
world’s largest salt flat, also known by the name ‘The Reflecting Desert’.

The remnant of several vast lakes, Salar de Uyuni, in central Bolivia, formed

during the uplift of the Andes Mountains. Here, in one of the world’s most

breathtaking sights, earth and sky seem to merge. The water has not completely

evaporated, and the small amount remaining reflects the sky in a most unique way.

Yet this place of almost transcendent beauty is also an environment so harsh that

virtually no wildlife or vegetation can survive there.

 

This music is both a depiction of the stark beauty of Salar de Uyuni, and a

reflection of the awe that it arouses in the visitor.

 

This piece was commissioned by the University of Central Florida

Saxophone Quartet and premiered by them on April 13, 2014.