About the Piece
This piece is intended to be a direct representation of the plane ride that I took during my visit to Panguipulli. The piece begins very softly and with a thin texture, only using half of the first violins, as the propellor on the front of the plane begins to spin. The texture gradually thickens as more violins join the sound, and the plane soon gains enough momentum to take off. The harmonies are a bit turbulent here, representing some fear and apprehension on my part, which is enhanced by the addition of the violas and cellos to form more dissonant chords. Eventually, as the full effect of the breathtaking landscape below begins to come into view, the sound of the propellors resolves and fades away; I feel myself enter a quasi-meditative state, as if I was floating above the beautiful mountains and lakes beneath me. The solo violin melody represents this pulling away from reality, and is intended to be performed out of time. The orchestra then layers the melody in a blended wash of sound as I fly over more of Panguipulli – the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve, the Schoshuenco volcano, and the Neltume town center – and any sense of passing time vanishes. Eventually, we begin to descend – the sound of the propellor returns very softly in the first violins, and the remaining strings flow through a series of reflective harmonies. These chords, in tandem with the sound of the propellor, convey that even though the trip has come to an end, the beauty of the journey will stay with me for the rest of my life.
[Program note by the composer]
Instrumentation:
String Orchestra (Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Cello. A bass part can be adapted from the cello part)
Perusal score:
About the Composer
Erin Busch is a composer, cellist, and educator residing in Philadelphia. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D in Music Composition at the University of Pennsylvania, and is the founder and Artistic Director of the Young Women Composers Camp, a two–week music composition camp for young women ages 14–19 at Temple University. She has been commissioned and performed by the Albany (NY) Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra String Quartet, the TAK Ensemble, The Philadelphia Charter – A String Theory School, and members of the Arcana New Music Ensemble. Upcoming projects include a piece for Matthew Levy of the PRISM Quartet, a string quartet commission from cellist Yumi Kendall of the Philadelphia Orchestra, and a piece for Sō Percussion. She also maintains a freelance career as a cellist, and performs with local ensembles such as Bowerbird/Arcana, Symphony in C, and the Philly Pops, among others. Erin received her B.M. in composition (‘13) and her M.M. in composition and cello performance (‘15) from Temple University, where she also served as an adjunct professor of music studies from 2015–2018. She currently serves on the board of the American Composers Forum – Philadelphia chapter.
Performance Materials
Performance materials are available by contacting the composer:
erin.busch@me.com