Program notes
Polaris was composed in 1987 while Efraín Amaya was living in Houston, Texas, during his master’s studies in conducting. The piece reflects his contemplation of the direction his devotion to music would ultimately take—hence the reference to the North Star, a traditional symbol of guidance.
The work centers on the transformation, mutation, and metamorphosis of two themes, presented sequentially at the beginning. The first is a martial, active force; the second is spiritual, with a more lyrical energy. Through augmentation, diminution, and displacement, the martial theme becomes enveloped in self-destruction. The lyrical theme evolves into solos for oboe and high double bass.
A trumpet call announces the third section, where the two themes finally come together as one. Their joyful encounter gradually dissolves as each instrument in the ensemble fades away. The coda is a concluding confrontation, leaving the outcome of the conflict unresolved.
Polaris was written as a companion piece to Octandre (1923), the masterpiece by Edgard Varèse; consequently, it uses the same instrumentation: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, horn, trombone, and double bass. The première of Polaris took place in Pittsburgh in 1993, performed by the Carnegie Mellon Contemporary Ensemble conducted by the composer.
— Riccardo Schulz
Instrumentation & duration
Instrumentation: fl, ob, cl, bsn, hn, tpt, trbn, double bass.
Duration: ca. 7:30.
A performance of Polaris can be viewed on YouTube .
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