Balmages, Brian - Wind Sketches

Wind Sketches was commissioned by the Off-Bass Brass Quartet in April of 2008 and marks the second collaboration with composer Brian Balmages (b. 1975). The first was in 2007 when the quartet commissioned him to write Whirlwind, which was premiered at the Falcone International Tuba and Euphonium Festival in Twin Lake, Michigan in August of that year. Wind Sketches is actually an expansion on Whirlwind this fast and aggressive work has become the first of four movements. The contrasting second movement, entitled Freemantle Doctor, is the colloquial name of strong oceanic winds that blow across the Northwestern coast of Australia. White Squall is a quick and boisterous scherzo bringing to mind the violent storms that arise at sea and vanish just as quickly as they come. The last movement, Vientos e fugas, with its Latin jazz influences applied to a reoccurring fugue pattern, provides a raucous, driving finale to end the piece.