This movement was composed between 1974 and 1975 and was the first movement of the work to be completed in my mind. All of the action is near and around a mountain lake. I often worked on it as I drove on I-65 between Athens (where I worked during the week at a co-op job while in college) and Bessemer (where I stayed with my parents on weekends). The grand hill in Cullman would be very colorful in the fall. A piano sketch was recorded on Sept 28, 1975. As I had no way to write the music, that recording served as the documentation for later use. A short fragment was added to the movement later. A literal transcription of the piano recording was entered as a Cakewalk file in the mid-1990s. After the other movements were completed as Cakewalk files, considerable revisions were made to the file during the period between August 24 and September 6, 2003. Although fine for piano, this form did not play well on the statistical orchestra I use. The revisions involved octave translations, correcting some chord errors, and restructuring chords for full orchestral effect. A brief repeat of one theme was eliminated in the concluding section. This orchestration is just how I envisioned it in 1974.

The movement features solo woodwinds depicting various colors and scenes and include the English Horn and even the piccolo has lyrical parts.

The movement begins as the protagonist enjoys a perfect day in early autumn. A solo clarinet is accompanied by the cellos playing a quasi-melody of their own. The sky is bright with a few rolling clouds and there is a slight breeze. The leaves are just starting to change colors. The frolic theme from the first movement is now very relaxed as the young offspring who grew up during summer have now matured and are getting ready for their first winter. In the next theme, an eagle swoops over a mountain lake and catches a fish. This section ends with an orchestral explosion of color and majesty followed by a slow and tranquil theme of peace as the protagonist enjoys the scene.

The music opens ominously with a solo trumpet playing the Gaia theme and anticipates the winter storms that will be coming. There is a sense of urgency and fear as the first southward migration escapes the coming grasp of winter. The music builds up to the first storm of the season. The protagonist is also preparing for winter, and a variation of the frolic theme from the first movement conveys his efforts to understand all of this. Play and intelligence are interrelated. Thus, the variation of the frolic theme serves as a deep-thinking theme and is used here and in subsequent movements.

The music begins joyously after the somber closing of the previous section. The colors are at their peak. The protagonist observes all of this and tries to resolve inner conflicts about this magnificent spectacle being the result of death of the leaves. Thus, the music alternates between magical and mysterious. Color after color is observed until the music climaxes as beauty takes dominance over the concerns about death. But the conflict is not resolved and the section ends mysteriously.

The mystery of the previous section now becomes increasingly frightful as the music builds to a grand celebration of beauty. Music from the first part is triumphantly recalled and builds to a brilliant orchestral climax. The music then softens as evening approaches and becomes very relaxed as dusk sets in and closes peacefully and barely audible as dusk becomes night. The protagonist settles in for the night at his camp site by the lake.

The following are excerpts of the different parts for easy access.

Audio: tron_movement2_part1.mp3 Score: tron_movement2_part1.pdf

Audio: tron_movement2_part2.mp3 Score: tron_movement2_part2.pdf

Audio: tron_movement2_part3.mp3 Score: tron_movement2_part3.pdf

Audio: tron_movement2_part4.mp3 Score: tron_movement2_part4.pdf