T. 45--Clouds Tumbling Over Mountains

Though the style of this piece is heavily influenced and inspired by the minimalist movement, particularly the mallet pieces of Steve Reich, the idea was inspired by breathtaking views of the mountains in the Provo/Orem area in Utah. I often marveled at the sight of clouds making their way through the sky and over the mountains. I imagined the clouds tumbling through the mountain range--sky and earth clashing and interacting in such a beautiful way. Occasionally this combination adds snow to the mountains, making the scene much more beautiful to me. 

The theme that starts in the glockenspiel was stored away in my personal bank of original melodies for several years, though I always wanted to use it for something associated with clouds. Here was my chance to do that. I intended for the three mallet instruments to represent various clouds, while the low, angular melodies of the cello clearly represent the mountains and hills that the clouds tumble over and around. All four instruments and their individual themes work so well together, and I modulated everything down a whole step towards the end to add variety before the eventual conclusion. 

Throughout the piece, I feel the long periods of repetition leave plenty of space for the listener to enjoy the sound and the images that may come to mind. I had fun composing this, and I hope it is at least that much fun to perform, as long as you aren’t bothered by the repetitive properties of minimalistic music.