Shvetashvatara

A quick, little bagatelle to cleanse the sound palette after the Drang of the wind quintet.

Similar to several of my earlier harmonic etudes, this is a palindrome; but with voices swapped in the outer choirs: i.e., the flute and violin mirror the English horn and the violoncello, respectively - and vice versa - in the reversed half of the piece.

For the uninitiated, the Shvetashvatara Upanishad is one of the noblest and most ancient Hindu scriptures:

Mind and matter, master and servant - both have existed from beginningless time. The Maya which unites them has also existed from beginningless time. When all three - mind, matter, and Maya - are known as one with Brahman, then it is realized that the Self is infinite and has no part in action. Then it is realized that the Self is all.