Instruments: Flute, Clarinet in Bb, Violin, Viola, Cello, Piano, Percussion

Program Notes:

Particle Acceleration is a musical representation of my (admittedly poor) understanding of what goes on inside facilities like the Large Hadron Collider. At the beginning of the piece, the static nature of the music represents particles in a “rest” state. As the music progresses, these points of sound become more cohesive until two streams of notes come together in wave-like patterns. These waves get faster and faster and finally collide in an aggressive, percussive section that approaches a climax. In my mind, this represents the Big Bang. The section that follows and approaches the end of the piece is much more ethereal—the universe begun anew. Finally, a little more order returns, and the sounds of the closing reflect the sounds from the opening.

First Performed: November 2013, Talea Ensemble

Performance: