This is the full score only. The parts are available on rental from the publisher.
Orbital (2003) for orchestra was commissioned by New Music Tomorrow and is dedicated to
composer Georges Lentz.
The work is a brief meditation, played throughout at a slow tempo and a generally quiet
dynamic level. After an atmospheric introductory section which hints at the principal
material, the work slowly traverses a grid of pitches and intervallic structures -- each
instrumental group orbiting at its own pace. The musical material is derived from a "colored"
whole-tone scale (in its prime form: C, D, E, F#, G#, A#, B).
The poetic image was one of a distant planet, slowly orbiting -- amid the vast expansive void
of outer space. It is a mystical and prayerful piece -- as if we are watching this orbit amidst
the great expanse while contemplating existential questions.
Instrumentation
3 Flutes
2 Oboes
2 Clarinets in Bb
2 Bassoons
3 Horns in F
3 Trumpets in C
Percussion (1 player: tubular bells)
3 Obbligato Violins
(NOTE: The three violins may be discreetly amplified. They should be seated in a semi-circle
directly in front of the conductor -- not in a "concerto" position.)
Strings