Performed in Downers Grove, IL by students of the Musikschule im Schloss of Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany. Conducted by Annette Bachmann.

Performed by Recorders Incorporated in the United Kingdom, conducted by Tom Beets.

Performed in Taiwan by the Hsin-Chu Recorder Orchestra, conducted by Meng-Heng Chen.

Performed by Flauto Vivo of Germany

“Mountain Mosaic” was commissioned in 2012 by Rose Marie Terada and the Colorado Recorder Orchestra, who performed its premier in November 2013. It is a single-movement tone poem with a succession of contrasting colors and moods strung together in a musical garland that circles back to itself. Some programmatic features are the “mountain” and “valley” shapes within the music — from the tiny ups and downs in the and motifs starting at measure 95, to the larger rises and falls, most notably at the piece’s midpoint, where the minor-key descent hits the bottom and rises back up in the major key.

The various sections throughout the piece suggest imagery that is likely to be different for each listener — among many possibilities, one might imagine perhaps a majestic sunrise; birds high aloft; an arduous journey over the pass; frolicking wildlife; time for a little nap; bustling activity in town; climbing even higher; twinkling stars on a clear night; or a light rain before a glorious sunset.

The Subgreatbass and Subcontrabass parts are optional, provided for those ensembles with the good fortune to have either of those large sizes in their arsenal. As above, their inclusion does not prevent smaller groups without those sizes from performing the piece.