ERIC HESSEL

The Clouds [Akatonbo | Yuuyakekoyake] (2019)

Wind Band (Picc, 2Fl, 2 Ob, Eb Cl, 3 Bb Cl, Bass Cl, 2 Bsn. 2 ASx, TSx, BarSax, 3 Tpt, 4 Hn, 3 Tbn, Euph, Tba, Dbl Bass, Timp, S.D., Sus Cym, Triangle, Bells). 7'

The Clouds depicts an emotional response to the scintillating artwork of Jacob Hashimoto. Using two Japanese folk songs – “Akatonbo” (“Red Dragonfly”) and “Yuuyakekoyake” (“Crimson Sunset”) – as the musical foundation, the composition seeks to suspend time in the way that delicate clouds are placed upon the air at sunset. This couples with the sense of yearning in the original songs, which convey the desire to return home amid the shifting red colors of sunset. This piece is originally for Horn and Marimba (see The Clouds).

Performance History:

• ​13 October 2019, Prosper High School Auditorium, Prosper, TX. Dallas Asian Wind Ensemble (DAWE), Eric Hessel, conductor.