Samsara
Andrew McKenna Lee
About this work:
sam-sa-ra (sem-sär’e) noun
Hinduism & Buddhism.
The eternal cycle of birth, suffering, death, and rebirth.
[Sanskrit samsârah, course of life, samsara : sam, together + sarati, it flows.]
Although I have found many, slightly different meanings for the word samsara, all definitions seem to carry a negative connotation, as the word always seems to imply a state of despair. It is created when the posing of questions leads to nothing but more questions that begin a vicious cycle of confusion that is ultimately never resolvable. In this sense, samsara is the polar opposite of its counterpart word, nirvana.
Year composed: 1997
Duration: 00:08:15
Ensemble type: Orchestra:Standard Orchestra
Instrumentation:
Instrumentation notes: picc. 3 (III=afl.). 3 (III=cor A). 3 (III=bcl.). 2- 4.2.2.1- timp.- perc. (3): xyl./BD; tam-t/SD/lg. susp. cymb./mtl. wind chimes;
vib./tam-t- harp- piano- strings (min. count 12,10, 8, 6, 4)