Light Fantastic

for orchestra (3333,4331,tmp,hp,pno,strings)

(1994) Duration: 10:00

PURCHASE

Light Fantastic is the third in a series of orchestral works evoking images of light, the first two of which were Symphony No.1: Light Descending and Into the Light. In Light Fantastic I use a variant of a process of development known as "multiple, discontinuous variations," which found a much more formal exposition in my earlier Symphony No.1: Light Descending.

In the first few seconds of the work all the basic materials and ideas are heard in condensed form, including, among others: (1) a percussion accent, which frequently "triggers" the material that immediately follows, (2) a quick, two note rhythmic motive, (3) a rushing gesture by the strings playing tremolo, and (4) the basic harmelodic "seeds" of the entire piece. Another prominent idea is a static, busy, harmonically rich string chord (itself a transformation of the opening sounds) heard near the opening, which returns again and again in the piece, serving as an aural frame. All these ideas are transformed and expanded throughout the work. For example, the rushing string fragment from the opening moments becomes the source material for an entire section, and is then integrated at various levels of the texture throughout the remainder of the piece. Light Fantastic is compact and very active, but a central section of slower, transparent melodies creates a "fast-slow-fast" structure for the whole. (Similar slow music briefly appears earlier as transitional material.)

Near the conclusion of the work, a transformation of material from the opening moments returns, first heard in its original instrumentation of oboes, bassoons, stopped horns, muted trumpets, muted trombones, and snare drum, then expanded, transformed and scored for full orchestra, now serving as a summation, a final transformation of the original source material.
– Steve Rouse