related works
The stillpoint : for violin and vibraphone, opus 4, 1994/1995 / Edward Top
Genre:
Chamber music
Subgenre:
Mixed ensemble (2-12 players)
Scoring:
vibr vl
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Orchestra
Scoring:
Orchestra
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Variable occupancy (orchestra); Orchestra
Scoring:
32-48 players (3perc ad lib.)
Tepuyes : for chamber orchestra / Miguel Ángel Santaella
Genre:
Orchestra
Subgenre:
Orchestra
Scoring:
fl eh cl cl-b fg h trp trb 2perc hp str
composition
Helix (2022 revision) : for orchestra / Edward Top
Other authors:
Top, Edward
(Composer)
Description:
Helix consists of a single motive that occurs in five different speeds. At the opening of the work it can be heard on its own - slowly - in the horn and strings, followed by denser sections where the music intensifies through diminution (the motive in faster appearances), spiralling in and out of the different speeds. An echoing technique derived from electronic delay as found in rock music emphasizes this spiralling. This echo can be heard throughout the six-minute composition, but starts right at the beginning as a layer in bassoons, percussion, harp and piano. The work shifts through different diatonic modes where Corellian suspension chains in the strings, again, underscore the spiralling motion. These elements combined result in a weightless twirling that eventually gravitates towards a more grounded climax.