Located in the UK
Located in the USA
Located in Europe
- Poul Ruders
Corona (1995)
- Edition Wilhelm Hansen Copenhagen (World)
Programme Note
Corona makes the final part of the Solar-Trilogy, a huge symphonic triptych about the life and behavior of the Sun. The first ‘panel’ Gong depicts the birth, life and final collapse of our nearest star, the second Zenith describes in its ultra-slow tempo the patient rise of the Sun toward midday ferocity and its subsequent setting. Corona, then, is a symphonic ‘portrait’ of the phenomenally hot whispy brim encircling and radiating from the Sun, a sizzling halo of electrons and photons visible only during a total eclipse.
Formally Corona follows the process of such totality in progress: the gradual eclipsing by the Moon – total darkness with the fierce, sparkling outer corona – the gradual ‘rebirth’ of the light toward the full glory and warmth of the Sun.
Besides the obvious astronomical narrative of the Solar-Trilogy there’s a metaphysical angle too, underlying each of the three compositions: Gong, in spite of its apparent energy, may be the most pessimistic of them all, epitomizing the death and ultimate annihilation of the prime source of Life itself. Zenith is a homage to human aspiration and spiritual endurance and Corona ends with Hope and Glory after a journey from depression through total despair.
Super-structurally, the zenith of Zenith makes the zenith of the entire trilogy, i.e. when the E-flat of the unison horns in Zenith is heard, we are exactly halfway through the collected work.
Poul Ruders
Formally Corona follows the process of such totality in progress: the gradual eclipsing by the Moon – total darkness with the fierce, sparkling outer corona – the gradual ‘rebirth’ of the light toward the full glory and warmth of the Sun.
Besides the obvious astronomical narrative of the Solar-Trilogy there’s a metaphysical angle too, underlying each of the three compositions: Gong, in spite of its apparent energy, may be the most pessimistic of them all, epitomizing the death and ultimate annihilation of the prime source of Life itself. Zenith is a homage to human aspiration and spiritual endurance and Corona ends with Hope and Glory after a journey from depression through total despair.
Super-structurally, the zenith of Zenith makes the zenith of the entire trilogy, i.e. when the E-flat of the unison horns in Zenith is heard, we are exactly halfway through the collected work.
Poul Ruders
Media
Corona: Sizzling - Piercing - Sizzling - Majestic
Scores
Score preview
