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Violet Stars

A quasar is an extremely rare celestial phenomena – one of the brightest objects in the universe, powered by the immense gravitational force of a black hole at the core. This composition is not only about these amazing celestial objects but also about my father, Anthony Buetti, who was himself a quasar – an extremely rare person who lit up any room with his presence, and someone to whom others were always drawn, as if by a gravitational pull.

 

This piece can be described in two ways. First as inspired by the phenomena of the Quasar: Movement 1 - Descent – Matter and even light are pulled into the Quasar by incredible gravitational forces. Anything entering the quasar is ripped apart and pulled into the abyss. Chaos ensues. The Light – which in this context is represented by the Viola Solo – is distorted, shredded and finally swallowed by the black hole, represented by the orchestra. Movement 2 - Loss – Not even light can escape the utter darkness of the black hole at the quasar’s center. All that enters is lost to the universe forever. Movement 3 - Ascension – When a quasar pulls in everything around it, gasses and matter are ignited into amazingly bright & beautiful ejection jets. The chaos and destruction of a quasar also brings about the creation of incredible light that shines brighter than any other beacon in the universe.

 

Quasar is an Elegy to my father. It reflects the process by which he was lost to us. Anthony Buetti graduated from West Point in 1966, and like thousands of others, was exposed to the chemical known as Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam. The harmful effects of Agent Orange were unknown at the time, but it has since been shown to cause, cancer, neurological disorders, and a host of other medical issues. Many veterans are misdiagnosed with conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease, while the true cause is likely Agent Orange exposure from decades before. In the last years of his life, my father struggled with a variety of neurological symptoms, misdiagnoses, medications, and side effects. These conditions eventually robbed him of the brilliant mind that studied physics at MIT, spoke four languages, and in many ways defined his life and career. Over the last few months of his life, he had more and more difficulty with memory, movement, and finally language and communication. Even though these neurological symptoms were devastating, at the end, he never forgot those closest to him. Anthony Buetti passed away in early 2020.

 

Descent - A melody played by the trumpet, and accompanied by the snare drum and brass recurs throughout the piece. This is a reference to my father’s time in the military, and returns in various forms in each movement. The melody is a quote from a song I wrote many years ago, called “Together We’re Alone.” This was my father’s favorite song of all that I’ve ever written. It is a melancholy song that encompasses how my family and I felt during his final months. We were all fighting together, yet we felt increasingly alone as the disease progressed. The viola, representing my father, has a beautiful and complex melodic passage indicative of my father’s brilliant mind. After a brief brass fanfare, these thoughts return, but this time in a fragmented way, as if a person can’t quite think of the words for the thought they’re trying to express. This was the early sign of my father’s neurological symptoms. As the movement goes on, the orchestra takes on the role of the disease, callously pounding away, as the viola represents frustration & anger taking over the mind. There are a few beautiful moments of lucidity that break through the chaos, but even they become distorted. By the end, the thoughts are disjunct and broken, fighting to be heard and understood. The viola line ends up getting swallowed up by the orchestra and the movement ends with one final scream of the Viola one last attempt to be heard before passing away.

 

Loss - The second movement is the sorrow and pain left behind after my father’s passing. The viola laments as the orchestra pushes on, marking the time slowly passing as we entered into the confines of Covid-19 seclusion, with nothing but loneliness and grief for company. Towards the end, there is a trio between the viola and the first two violins, representing the family he left behind his wife and two daughters.

 

Ascension - The final movement represents hope and belief that my father is no longer in pain, and is now exploring the mysteries of the cosmos - like he always dreamed of doing. His love of science, astronomy and science fiction were a huge influence in the composition of this movement. The complex theme of the first movement returns intact, and develops further as we leave behind physical confines to explore the universe. The brass fanfare returns one final time, and our soldier takes a last look at this world he is leaving behind before ascending into the next adventure beyond.

 

  • Orchestration: Solo Viola, *3*3*3*3 - 4331 – t + 3 – harp – strings
  • Time: 24’
  • Video Link: https://youtu.be/5jhAA76L-xI
  • Cost: $350 (PDF Download) / $600 (Printed Parts & Score) / $65 (printed score only)

Quasar - Elegy for Viola and Orchestra

$350.00Price
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