Polaris
(1987)
Efraín Amaya composed Polaris
in 1987 while he was living in Houston, Texas. He was working
on a master's degree in conducting at the time, and so the piece
stands as a reflection over which direction his ultimate devotion
to music would lead.
Polaris, then,
is about the transformation, mutation, and metamorphosis of two
themes, which are presented sequentially at the beginning of
the piece. Each has a clear and complementary character: the
first is a martial, active force; the second is spiritual, with
a more lyrical energy. Through augmentation, diminution, and
displacement the martial theme is enveloped in self-destruction.
The lyrical theme evolves into solos for the oboe and high double
bass. The trumpet announces the third section of the piece, where
the two themes come together as one. This joyful encounter dissolves
as each instrument of the ensemble fades away. The coda is a
concluding confrontation, which leaves the outcome of the conflict
undecided.
Polaris was
written as a companion piece for a performance of Octandre,
the 1923 masterpiece by Edgar Varèse; thus the instrumentation
is the same: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, french
horn, trombone, and double bass. The première of Polaris
was in Pittsburgh, in 1993 by the Carnegie Mellon Contemporary
Ensemble conducted by the composer.
Riccardo Schulz
Instrumentation: 1/1/1/1 - 1/1/1/0 - double bass.
Duration: ca. 7:30
