Composer's Program Note

A vortex is a whirling mass, such as a tornado or whirlpool, which is created when a source of momentum causes a thick layer of unstable stratification to move with ever stronger tangential velocity as the medium (air or water) converges ito a smaller radius. The vortex gradually gains power and momentum while, ironically, forming a vacuum at its center. It is this image of opposites-one influenced by the other-that was the genesis of this piece. The piece alternates between moments of extreme stasis and whirling energy. While the work is not a concerto, the piano often serves as the source of momentum, with the ensemble-static at first-gradually pulled into the vortex.