Mira!

Mira, a red giant star is a prime candidate for supernovae explosion in the future, as it shows signs of being near the end of its life as a star and will eventually collapse on itself in a spectacular explosion. Utilizing minimalistic composition techniques, the composition Mira! reflects the simplicity, excitement and power that this image suggests.

Program Notes

Mira! is titled after a bright star 400 light years away in the constellation Cetus. Mira is an interesting star, being the first discovered "variable" star, meaning that its brightness varies due to its constant expansion and contraction. At its largest, the star would fill two-thirds of the space between our sun and Jupiter's orbit. Mira has a much smaller companion star located very close to it. As Mira expands, the companion attracts some of the star's material, creating a "hook" shape appearance. Mira is classified as a red giant star and is one of several stars that are prime candidates for supernovae explosion in the future. It shows signs of being near the end of its life as a star and will eventually collapse on itself in a spectacular explosion. As the inspiration for this work, the composition reflects the simplicity, excitement and power that this image suggests.

Some of the textures presented in this work are "minimalistic" in that relatively simple musical ideas are repeated and layered to create a musical fabric.

- Greg Danner

Grade Level: 4
Copyright: 2002
Number of Players: Standard
Duration: 4:00
Publisher: C. Alan Publications
Category: Concert Band

Listen to Recordings

Instrumentation

Piccolo
Flute 1/2
Oboe 1/2
Bassoon 1/2
Clarinet 1
Clarinet 2
Clarinet 3
Bass Clarinet
Eb Contrabass Clarinet
Alto Saxophone 1/2
Tenor Saxophone
Baritone Saxophone

Trumpet 1
Trumpet 2/3
Horn 1/2
Horn 3/4
Trombone 1/2
Trombone 3
Euphonium
Tuba

String Bass

Timpani (4 drums)
Percussion 1 (suspended cymbal, small triangle)
Percussion 2 (suspended cymbal, large triangle)
Percussion 3 (snare drum, bass drum, mark tree)
Percussion 4 (chimes, bells)