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In 1985, Michael Colgrass wrote his famous piece, Winds of Nagual. He

composed this wind ensemble classic for the New England Conservatory

Wind Ensemble. The composition is largely programmatic, and he sonically

conveys the writings of a shaman named Carlos Castaneda. The piece is

divided into 7 programmatic movements, each telling a story, or depicting a

certain character: The Desert: Don Juan Emerges from the Mountains, Don

Genaro Appears, Carlos Stares at the River and Becomes a Bubble, The Gait

of Power, Asking Twilight for Calmness and Power, Don Juan Clowns for

Carlos, then finally, the Last Conversation and Farewell.

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The inspiration for this piece is undeniably mystical, its an incredible

audible journey that if you had no knowledge of what this piece was about,

you'd still find yourself feeling like you were listening to a relatable spiritual

epic. The stylings go from primitive raw sound, resembling Stravinsky, then

modulating back to colorful diatonicism. From the first movement a clarinet

has a solo creating a light airy setting, Almost sounding a bit timid. We then

are introduced to the character Carlos. This setting conveys the nervousness

Carlos feels meeting Don Juan, who is a mystic who offers to show Carlos

who he really is on the inside.

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 Winds of Nagual really impressed me during movement 3 and 5;

Carlos stares at the river and becomes a bubble, and asking twilight for

calmness and power. Movement 5 had a Stravinsky influence, and before

this section you hear powerful brass conveying Carloss character

development during gait of power. After this more serious side of the

piece, Colgrass introduces some humor with Don Juan clowns for Carlos. It

shifts from somber, to a fun dance, almost like a folk song. This effect I

imagine is meant to give the listener a break from so much emotion. The

levity, to me, was necessary, because in the last section, Last conversation

and farewell, Carlos overstays his welcome, and the mood changes from a

straight diatonic harmony,to a more emotional, or sentimental sound.

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I really enjoyed this piece because of how interesting it was

instrumentally, and programmatically. I loved the homages to Stravinsky,

and his ability to shift from scene to scene, giving you the feeling of Carloss

journey. Im also a lover of percussion, so the rhythmic nature of this piece

really spoke to me. I think ill look into this story more in the future!