The Tempest: Suite (Divertimento): Full Score

Chihara crafts a suite that gives string orchestras genuine contemporary material without sacrificing musicianship or ensemble cohesion. The full score format allows conductors to shape the ensemble across all voices, and the substantial page count suggests orchestration that rewards careful attention to balance and articulation. This is the kind of work that develops a program's artistic credibility while remaining rehearsal-friendly.

The suite draws its title and inspiration from Shakespeare, translating dramatic narrative into pure instrumental color. Chihara's string writing moves fluidly between moments of lyrical warmth and sharp modern harmonic edges, creating a work that feels both contemporary and deeply connected to the string orchestra tradition. The divertimento format allows each movement to inhabit its own character while remaining part of a cohesive dramatic arc.

Advanced string orchestras and university ensembles seeking substantial contemporary repertoire that challenges both technical skill and musical interpretation. Conductors programming music by living American composers will find this suite a worthy centerpiece that demonstrates the vitality of 21st-century string writing. The 144-page full score supports serious study and performance at the intermediate-advanced level.

• Balance the inner voices carefully across the sections; Chihara's orchestration often distributes thematic material across violas and second violins, and neglecting these lines will obscure the harmonic language.
• Pay particular attention to bow distribution and pressure changes at phrase boundaries; the suite's modern harmonic syntax benefits from clear articulation and controlled dynamics.
• Allow time in rehearsal for the ensemble to develop a shared understanding of intonation in contemporary harmonic contexts, especially dissonant intervals that may feel unfamiliar at first.
• Use the full score to identify where divisi sections occur and ensure stands are marked clearly so players understand which notes they're responsible for in each movement.

Program this as a substantial contemporary work on a concert alongside Romantic-era string repertoire to frame how 20th and 21st-century composers have extended the string orchestra tradition. The theatrical connection makes it a natural pairing with concerts that include other Shakespeare-inspired works or literary adaptations. Universities and pre-professional ensembles can use the full score as a detailed study in modern string orchestration and conducting technique.

• Reading and performing contemporary harmonic language in a string context
• Sustaining complex rhythmic and metric relationships across an ensemble
• Balancing divisi passages and inner voices in multi-movement works
• Interpreting conductor-led expression and phrasing in modernist scores
• Managing intonation and tone color in dissonant and atonal passages