Written in 1972 on a commission from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, this work for large orchestra presents a rich, sensuous, "neo-impressionistic" sound landscape which has been likened to the work of Alban Berg. After the sumptuous first 1/3 with sustained but melodic writing, the music becomes more playful with pointillistic percussion and dissonant brass voluntaries. Plaintive melodies in the winds are introduced, and receive a quick orchestral commentary, followed by low brass intoning, and another orchestral commentary extended into more serial but romantic lines. The percussion section then has their say, backed up by sustained clusters in the strings - like an sustained internal feeling triggered by the more energetic activity. A brass section introduction, leads into a lovely final section with descending and sustained wind clusters and broad 12-tone string melodies. High string harmonic clusters suspend in the air above the final comments by the energetic, somewhat raucous brass and then a flighty solo flute enters and concludes the piece all by itself. The score is a skillful combination of fully notated composition and "aleatoric" sections with only the pitches notated.

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