Sea Quartet - Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon and Piano

Version for Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon and Piano

Sea Quartet was inspired by the beautiful ocean beside which we live as well as the many trips I have taken to visit the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, California. This magical place brings to us the beauty of the sea, from the creatures that call it home to the delicate coral reefs and fragile ecosystems that depend on the balance of the sea for their survival.

This piece uses each of the instruments to tell the story of the sea in various sections, from the playful waves to a “watery waltz;” from the “gentle pulse of the wave,” to the clarinet’s “moonlight” solo. The relative calmness of the sea finally begins to break as the waves move faster and faster, creating a “wild, frothy frenzy” at the end of the piece. At this point the instruments joyfully crash over one another, and we are left with the feeling of the power and excitement of the sea.

Commissioned by the L.A. Musical Salon as part of my composer residency with the Vientos Trio during 2008-2009 and written specifically for a premiere at the L.A. Musical Salon with Rose Chen on March 7, 2009, I believe that a quote from the poem The Secret of the Sea by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow gives a wonderful impression of what this piece is truly all about:

“Till my soul is full of longing For the secret of the sea, And the heart of the great ocean Sends a thrilling pulse through me.”