COSMICOMIC
for full orchestra
3(2,3=picc).3(3=corA).3(3=bcl).3(3=cbsn)—4.3.3.1—timp.perc(3)—hrp.cel—strings
completed 2004
14 minutes
PROGRAM NOTE
COSMICOMIC is inspired by the imaginative and philosophical writings of Italo Calvino. The title refers to Calvino's collection of short stories, Cosmicomics, which explores the origins and evolution of the universe from a fabulist perspective. Set in a single movement, the piece takes the listener on a cosmic journey through time and space, from the Big Bang to the present day. The music is richly evocative, with a wide variety of textures, rhythms, and melodies that reflect the vastness and complexity of the cosmos.
The opening section, “Primordial Soup," sets the stage for the piece with a chaotic and dissonant soundscape that suggests the chaotic conditions of the early universe. As the music progresses, it becomes increasingly structured, with motifs and themes that are developed and transformed throughout the piece.
COSMICOMIC invites the listener to contemplate the vastness and complexity of the universe. Its music reflects the spirit of Calvino's writings, which are at once playful and profound, and suggests that the mysteries of the cosmos are inexhaustible.