The Tartar Steppe (2019)
Wind Ensemble Instrumentation: Picc, Fl. (2), Ob. (2), Bsn. (2), Cl. (3), B.Cl., Alt. Sax (2), T. Sax, B. Sax, Tpts. (3), Horns (4), T-bones (3), Euph., Tuba, electric bass, Timp., Perc. (4), Piano.
Duration: 12 minutes
Written for and premiered by Andrew Mast and the Lawrence University Conservatory Wind Ensemble
Introduction to the work
Live Video Recording
Program Note:
The Tartar Steppe is inspired by Italian author Dino Buzzati’s 1945 novel of the same name. The book is about a young soldier, Giovanni Drogo, who is stationed at the remote Fort Bastiani where he waits his whole lifetime for a battle with the Tartars, enemies of legend that are believed to be on the frontier.The book is ultimately a story about the human capacity for hope in spite of all odds and the glory of pursuing a singular great achievement, even if success never comes. From the opening dawn, the book is filled with images, ideas, and sounds that evoke music, such as the foreboding misty landscape, echoing military trumpet calls, distant lamenting songs, heroic fantasies, mysterious dreams, great silences, and the ever-increasing speed, although imperceptible at first, with which one’s life passes.