Zephyrus is the god of the western wind in Greek mythology. Every spring in Colorado, the weather becomes notoriously unpredictable and ever-changing from the gloriously clear and warm days to sudden downpours of hail or even the occasional Memorial Day blizzard! This short piece for winds and percussion attempts to capture the fickle mood of the winds off the Rockies in springtime through quick spiraling motives in the upper winds and off-beat dances in the brass and percussion. The piece was commissioned by Dr. Rebecca Phillips (professor of conducting, Colorado State University) and was premiered in July 2019 in Prague, Czech Republic.
Instrumentation:
2 Flutes, Oboe*, 2 Clarinets, Alto Saxophone, Bassoon* 2 Trumpets, Horn, Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba Percussion (one or two players, all portable non-pitched instruments) * - Oboe may be substituted with soprano saxophone or an additional clarinet; bassoon maybe substituted with bass clarinet or baritone saxophone; euphonium may be substituted with tenor saxophone; tuba may be substituted with contrabass clarinet or string bass; substitute parts linked below