Mars—59,620 Years

Published by Kistner und Siegel:

* Mars—59,620 Years

Click here to find a computer playback of this piece.

      A Wind Quintet written in 2003 for a small, informal competition.  It had its premiere in London in 2006 at a small gathering of musicians who were showcasing new works.  The center section is the difficult part involving fast tonguing of triplet sixteenths across the flute, oboe and clarinet parts.  It is approximately six minutes long.

The theme of the competition was the fact that the planet Mars was reaching its closest approach to earth in an estimated 59,620 years.  I took that theme and wove the idea of the Roman god of war with the dry and dusty images from the planet.

59,620 Years--Mars Returns is the simple telling of the approaching of Mars, the god of war. Mars, the Planet, is dry and arid--much like many of the deserts found throughout central Asia. For that reason, I chose a wind quintet and often featured the use of the double reed instruments with a haunting melody to try to invoke the feeling of a desert or at least nomadic life.

The approach of Mars is signified by a change to a minor key and an increasing sense of urgency. The storm clouds of war gather and break over everything. But Mars is old. The youthful delights that once he took in the exploits of war now easily tire him and his passion quickly drains away. Fear and foreboding subside. Calmness returns. The idyllic joy again returns as Mars fades away into the distance.

The numbers 5, 9, 6, 2, and 0 play an important part in developing the underlying intervals used in two sections of this piece.