River of Stars
Bill Alves
About this work:
The title for this work comes from a similar description I have come across in several unrelated visionary accounts, including Dante's Paradisio. Though I have not tried to directly represent them, these dream images of flowing light seemed evocative of some qualities of slowly changing colors and brilliant flashes I was trying to achieve in this work. Among the techniques I used to effect these shifting patterns of tones is the English folk art of change ringing, a mathematically-based method of continually permutating the order of bells rung in a church tower.
Year composed: 1989
Duration: 00:10:00
Ensemble type: Orchestra:Standard Orchestra
Instrumentation: 3 Flute, 2 Oboe, 2 Clarinet, 2 Bassoon, 2 Horn in F, 2 Trumpet, 2 Trombone, 1 Tuba, 3 Percussion (General), 1 Piano, 1 Strings (General), 1 Harp
Instrumentation notes: Ob. 1 dbl oboe d'amore (English horn may be substituted), piano dbl celesta (opt.), Perc 1: Crotales (1 octave), tam-tam, bass drum, Perc 2: Vibraphone, glockenspiel, Perc 3: Chimes, suspended cymbal