Having travelled to Tucson, Arizona for the premiere of another of her works, Richter was captivated by the beauty of the Sonoran Desert. When commissioned by the Drucker Trio (Stanley and Naomi Drucker, clarinettists, and Blanche Abram, pianist), it was this scene that she wanted to capture musically. According to Richter, "The rich but disembodied timbre of the clarinets (in this case, both in A), especially when combined with the sonorousness of the piano, seemed to be the ideal combination of instruments for such a piece."