Robert Langenfeld Compositions

A tempest is defined as a violent storm. Out on the ocean, a tempest can wreak havoc and damage/sink a ship. This composition seeks to portray the image of a sailor out at sea who encounters such a storm.

The piece opens with an optional sea dirge. This dirge is the kind of song a sailor would of sung and helps to provide a building point from which the tempest emerges. This intro is completely optional and is up to the director’s decision to use it or not. Percussion effects such as the ship bell and tam-tam (gong) help to provide imagery and take the piece to the next level. A constant pulsating pattern of eight notes is prominent throughout this entire piece. Like the sea, this pattern is constantly in motion.

This piece is written with younger bands in mind. The range on each instrument does not exceed one octave. The piece is also target to teach younger bands how to play in a minor mode. And it introduces the sound of the Neapolitan sixth, which a majority of younger players will not have not experienced yet.

Ensembles:   Concert Band