Panta Rhei (2010)

for Wind Ensemble

Duration: 8 min

Instrumentation: 2+1,2,2+1,2, Sop.Sax, Alto Sax, Tn. Sax-4,3,3,1-timp.,perc (2), piano

Percussion Details: Vibraphone, Glockenspiel, triangle, 2 suspended cymbals, tam-tam

Difficulty: Band Grade 5/Advanced

Commission: UMKC Wind Symphony,

Steven D. Davis, conductor

Premiere: UMKC Wind Symphony, October 28, 2010; Kansas City, MO

Steven D. Davis, conductor

 

Program Notes: Panta Rhei, from the Greek “everything flows,” is a term that is attributed to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus (c.535-c.475 B.C.). He believed that permanence was an illusion of the senses, that the world is permanently becoming and that all things are in constant flux. For me, music encapsulates this concept. For one, music only exists in time and therefore is in constant flux. There is also no permanence; one can never experience a piece the same way twice, nor is it possible to perform a piece exactly the same. Heraclitus beautifully sums up this concept by saying that one can never step into the same river twice. I find this comforting and exciting as a listener and as a composer. Panta Rhei was commissioned and premiered by Steven D. Davis and the UMKC Wind Symphony.