Tower of the Winds

for Wind Dectet
(2018)

Commissioned by Peter Lewis for the Bay State Winds

Much of the mythology of Ancient Greece can be seen as explanations for natural phenomena which cannot be seen. Perhaps one of the most powerful, yet invisible forces of nature are the Greek Anemoi, or the four Wind gods: Boreas, Eurus, Notos, and Zephyrus.
 

Each of these Anemoi is associated with a particular directional wind and season, and thus, imbued with certain individual personalities and characteristics. The Tower of the Winds is a 40-foot-tall clock tower that was constructed in Athens in approximately 50 B.C. Stillstanding today, it is considered the oldest meteorological station in the world. Supposedly, the four Wind Gods would have met here in the Tower of the Winds and interacted, which is the concept that my piece desires to explore. Each of the four movements can be seen asrepresenting the different qualities of each of the four Wind Gods.