Janus Antics (2012)

A light-hearted and capricious dance for orchestra, Janus Antics conjures the two-faced Roman god known for looking forward and backwards simultaneously. Beginning seemingly from nothing, snippets of music build to a dance from a bygone era. This waltz flits from one key to the next while playfully shifting rhythms disguise the pulse. As the dance continues, it becomes more and more distorted, building to a wild and raucous climax. This climax dissipates quickly, however, leading to a return of the opening music. As the intensity builds once again, the listener is left to wonder if the dance will return triumphantly, or collapse back into nothing.