Symphony No. 1: Symphony of the Sun

I. Totality

Totality is the first movement of Symphony of the Sun, a deeply personal composition inspired the once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse occurring over my childhood home of Dallas, Texas on April 8th, 2024.

In the music, I incorporated the image of the moon swallowing the sun whole by contrasting extreme dark and light. The composition begins with a spacious adagio (composed in the Mojave Desert), painting the stellar landscape behind the celestial event. From the ethereal texture emerges a bouncy string ostinato, bringing the energy of a new day. From this daytime music, a soaring horn solo forewarns the coming eclipse, followed by a violent variation of the solo in the percussion, announcing the moment of totality. As day rapidly descends into night, a primal cry erupts from the winds and solo cello in the peak of darkness. Just as quickly as the moon’s shadow came over the earth, the brilliance of the sun’s corona highlights the sky, shining in a triumphant full orchestral tutti.

__

II. Unveiling Light

Following the moment of totality is the primal fear that the sun will never return. Various human cultures have been documented believing the sun had died during the eclipse. However, after the moon swallows our closest star, the sun re-emerges, as if the sun had risen twice in one day. Unveiling Light explores the rebirth of the sun, beginning in the darkness and ultimately revealing the brightest light.

In my personal journey, I traveled back home to Texas while composing this movement to witness the eclipse. Therefore, the composition also reflects the journey home. In that moment, the Earth, the moon, the sun, my hometown, and my loved ones all aligned during the the sun’s spectacular show—a modern-day miracle.

Musically, the main motifs include a rhythmic Austin-ato driving the piece and a triumphant series of leaping melodies. The harmonies, inspired by the Harmonic Series, reflect the prism of the sun’s light, revealing the spectrum of sunlight in full color. The form of the composition constantly revisits the same themes and motifs, yet continually reinventing them. Home may always be changing, but the sun always rises (sometimes twice in one day), orienting us in the cosmos and our lives on this planet.

Difficulty: Hard | Duration: 15′ (in progress, full duration: 30′)

Piccolo

2 Flutes

2 Oboes

2 Clarinets in B-flat

Bass Clarinet
2 Bassoons

Contrabassoon

4 Horns in F

3 Trumpets in C

2 Tenor Trombones (Straight mute)

Bass Trombone (Straight mute)

Tuba

Timpani (+Suspended Cymbal*)

3 Percussion (suggested distribution:)

Player 1: Suspended Cymbal, Tom, Crash Cymbal, Glockenspiel

Player 2: Vibraphone, Bass Drum, Taiko Drum (optional)

Player 3: Bass Drum, Brake Drum

*Note: Susp. Cymbal for special effect on Timpani

Piano

Harp

Strings (Contrabass C-extension required)