Of fire and rain.

Abstract

Of Fire and Rain is an eleven-minute work for full orchestra. Through its musical materials it explores the idea of two contrasting elements, fire and water, as symbols. Conflict, balance, suffering, and healing are among the themes underlying this pairing, and the piece addresses these ideas both structurally and in the materials themselves. The piece is composed of five major sections. The first is a slow introduction which provides much of the motivic and harmonic material for the rest of the piece. The second section contains material expressing the idea of fire. This music is fast, accented, rhythmic, and dissonant, building to a large climax. Following is a section representing water, or rain. Its material is slow, sustained, consonant, and harmonically static. More fire material comes next and it builds to the largest climax of the piece. The work ends with a condensed statement of the water music, fading into the trio of swelling ocean drums which conclude the piece.