Solar (2020)

flute and cello – 8-9 min

Program Notes

I wrote this work for my dear friend, Rebecca Moranis, who I met during a summer course in Paris, France. Some of the most beautiful moments we had in Paris were watching sunrises or sunsets over the city. These were the moments that inspired me to use sun cycles as a framework for the form of the piece. One sun cycle is 11 years long; at the end of this cycle, the sun flips polarity. Solar is made up of three large sections: sunrise, day, and sunset. “Day” is twice as long as “Sunrise” or “Sunset”, in correspondence with our actual experience of daylight. Each of the three large sections is divided into two subsections, and each subsection is comprised of 11 cells, corresponding to the 11 years of the sun cycle.

Both the melodic language and rhythmic of Solar utilizes a few motives that correspond with each other. For example, large leaps usually occur in a short-long-short-long rhythmic moment. Hamonically, Solar moves through a series of central pitches following the entire circle of fifths, beginning on G and ending on G. This harmonic movement intends to give the impression of the arc of a full day, from sunrise to sunset.

Despite there being two instruments, Solar is a flute solo. The cello has an accompaniment role throughout the work, providing harmonic support, extra variety of timbre, and extra range on the low end. The flutist is the featured instrumentalist on this piece.