Todd Stalter

Critical mass is a scientific term that refers to the smallest amount of fissile material needed to sustain a nuclear chain reaction. This work begins with an explosion of sound, and then launches forward through small, ever-growing melodic fragments that expand outward and upward. (2:35)

Gather Ye Rosebuds takes its title from a line in a poem by Robert Herrick. The poem exhorts us to take advantage of the time we have been given, for all too soon it will be gone. The work opens with a bold statement in the winds, giving way to a plaintive melody in the flute. The music builds to a glorious climax using the power of the full sonority of the winds, and ends softly, in a reflective mood.

“Ignition” is a blindingly fast, raucously energetic concert opener that derives its title from the consecutive rising three-note cells that are the building blocks for almost the entire work. However, the energy unleashed in the music and the imagery of the title serve both as a metaphor for the “spark” of creativity, and as a “celebration in sound” for those who find and follow their own true life’s passion and pass it along to others, “igniting” the flame for another generation. It was written for the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony and their conductor, Scott Stewart, who have been steadfast supporters of Todd Stalter’s compositions, as a musical “Thank you!” from a grateful composer.

Quasars are the brightest observable objects in the universe, created by super-massive black holes in the centers of galaxies. This piece attempts to musically portray the awe of the vastness of our universe, and the reflective middle section explores the wonder each of us has when viewing the nighttime sky. (2:25)