Oculus is an original work for chamber orchestra. Given the large instrumentation, I was interested in exploring the abundance of possible timbral combinations. This led me to feature different instruments and instrumental groups gliding in and out of extended unison pitches. Such an approach can be heard at the very outset of the piece. The title also relates to this timbral focus. Having recently visited Rome, I likened the ever-shifting beam of light that pours through the Pantheon's oculus to the fluctuating bands of unison instrumental color.
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