Description
Duration 10:00 min
Gravitatus Fluctus
On 14th September 2015 the first direct observation of gravitational waves was documented. This landmark discovery occurred when gravitational waves caused by the merging of two black holes was detected to have created a space-time distortion of a thousandth of the width of a proton. The announcement was made on 11th February 2016 with the collaboration of both the Virgo Interferometer in Italy, and the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Waves Observatory (LIGO) in the US.
“Gravitatus Fluctus” loosely represents the large-scale and violent events leading up to the merging of these two black holes, the immense build-up of gravitational forces, and the subsequent release of gravitational waves after the two black holes had completely merged. These gravitational waves propagate throughout and distort space-time, slowly dissipating over great distances until, finally, their energy fades away completely.
Instrumentation
Piccolo, 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, Cor Anglais, 2 Clarinets in Bb, Bass Clarinet in Bb, 2 Bassoons, Contrabassoon
4 Horns in F, 2 Trumpets in C, 2 Trombones, Bass Trombone, Tuba
Timpani
Percussion (3 players) Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Crash Cymbals, Tam-tam, Xylophone, Glockenspiel, Tubular Bells
2 Harps
Violin I
Violin II
Viola
Violoncello
Double Bass
Composer Biography
Christopher Pantelidis is an Australian composer and oboist currently based in Sweden. Born and raised in Canberra, Christopher completed a Bachelor of Music in 2016 at the University of Newcastle, Australia and in 2017, Christopher completed his Honours research. In 2019, Christopher relocated to Piteå, Sweden, graduating in 2021 with a Master of Fine Arts in Music (Composition) at Piteå Musikhögskolan (Luleå University of Technology). Christopher has been a featured composer by many community and professional ensembles, including Norrbotten NEO, Gävle Symphony Orchestra, Newcastle Youth Orchestra, New South Wales Youth Orchestra, Orchestra Nova (Newcastle, Australia) and Symphony Central Coast (Gosford, Australia).