Nozomi

Nozomi translates to “wish” or “hope,” and was the name of a failed Japanese Mars orbiter constructed by the University of Tokyo’s Institute of Space and Astronautical Science. It was launched in July of 1998 and the mission was terminated in December of 2003 after two flybys of Earth and one of Mars. While I hesitate to call it true minimalism, minimalist textures and composers, particularly Nico Muhly and Philip Glass, were my inspiration for Nozomi. There are three main sections - the opening section uses short figures that are repeated and offset in the trumpets under a sustained melody. An interlude with significantly less rhythmic activity follows - long tones in the trumpets and then bowed vibraphone. The final section is the most energetic, building intensity through double tonguing and removing mutes in the trumpets, as well as introducing bongos in the percussion. The energy dissipates with a short coda – the opening material returns, this time in the vibraphone, along with a gentle, sustained melody in the trumpets.