
Ursus Arctos - Mark Taylor
Click HERE to listen to a recording.
Click HERE view a perusal score.
Ursus Arctos for String Orchestra is the formal Latin name for brown bear, grizzly bear, or bruin. The work is composed of modulations in and out of the musical characterizations that define the magnificent creature. After a ferocious opening statement, performers bring to life playful curiosity, a state of tranquility, majestic rises, and more before a powerful return to the beginning.
The piece was written for Austin Isaac and the Lake Braddock High School Orchestra program. Their mascot, the bruin, inspired the title but their artistically driven technical decisions and creative prowess inspired the composition. Having the pleasure of working with many of these incredible students, I kept them in mind as both the target
audience and performers for the piece.String Orchestra
5:55
