Starscape (String Orchestra Gr. 3)

Introduce your students to possibly one of the most beautiful and lyrical pieces they have ever performed. Intricate and delicate, this ethereal and almost hypnotic composition exemplifies being overcome with a sense of awe, peace, and wonder while gazing at the thousands of stars in a clear, dark, celestial sky.

Genre: String Orchestra | # of Players: 8-8-5-5-5
Series: Emerald Orchestra Series
Level: 3 | Duration: 3:10

Instrumentation
Violin I
Violin II
Viola
Cello
Contrabass

Program Notes
Starscape was composed after the composer and his wife visited the beautiful “Dark Sky Community” of Sedona, Arizona, to reflect the awe they felt while gazing at the thousands of stars that can be seen there on a clear night. This original, almost hypnotic composition in the key of C Major explores the beauty of dissonance and consonance created by sustained pitches. The delicate interplay of all instruments sharing a simple, yet gorgeous motif creates an aura of ethereality, while intricate changes in dynamics and subtle upper-position notes in the first violins elicit a sense of celestial grace and spiritual wonderment throughout the piece, which encompasses the entire gamut of emotions.