Shattering Suns | Nova | Shockwave | The Heart of the Sun | Pale Blue Dot | Viriditas | Stephen Taylor

Nova
The first movement of Shattering Suns by Stephen Taylor. Duration: 3'00"

Click here to see the first page of the score.
mp3 file (4.7 MB)

nova picture
Watercolor and pastel by Hua Nian.

As I was writing Nova I saw in my mind's eye, from a great distance, an exploding star. Through some imaginary telescope, we zoom in on the star, drawing closer to it until we are blinded by its fiery brilliance. The music begins with high, clangorous woodwind sounds over a slowly evolving theme in the trumpets. Gradually, the lower instruments enter as the music reaches full force. Just before the end the ensemble disappears, leaving the synthesizer playing the sound of the Sun's vibration, captured by scientists through a satellite in high Earth orbit.


Last updated 6/21/01.
Copyright © 1998-2001 by Stephen Taylor,
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