Mark Arnest program notes | Chamber Orchestra of the Springs

"I regret very much that I have painted a picture that requires any description," wrote Winslow Homer when an exhibitor requested additional background about one of his works. The wisdom of Homer's position is routinely proven by artist's statements and composer- written program notes. However, since musical structure is perceived only over time - as if you saw a painting beginning with only the upper left-hand corner - a few words about "Theme and Meditations" may help first-time listeners with the business of aural navigation.

There are seven sections: Meditation I, Theme I, Meditation II, etc... and a coda. The theme and the meditations are related - not in the parent/child relationship of a theme and variations, but in the sense that they have a common musical ancestor. I began with clear impressions of each meditation's "topic," but as is often the case, the opening meditiation - "Beginnings" - ended up more-or-less as planned. The others grew into things so different than I'd originally conceived that they no longer have names. I hope that the harmonic character of these sections - non-directional though not static - still lends them something of a meditative character. If not, well, it will be much easier to change the name than to rewrite the piece.

"Theme and Meditations" is dedicated to Dana Arnest, my sister-in-law. My thanks to Thomas Wilson for asking me to provide a piece for the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, and to the musicians who expended their precious time learning it. I hope that for them, and for the audience, "Theme and Meditations" provides some of the pleasure I felt while composing it.