Pale Blue Dot

In his program notes, composer Alex Stopa writes: “In 1990 an incredible portrait of planet Earth was captured by the Voyager 1 spacecraft. Taken from a distance of four billion miles, the photograph shows our home planet, Earth, as a tiny point of pale light, barely visible in the enor- mity of space. The image is at once humbling and awe-inspiring, highlighting the fleeting nature of human existence in the vastness of our universe.

“Accompanying the image of this ‘pale blue dot’ is an extraordinary quote from American astronomer Carl Sagan (available online at the Planetary Society’s website). Some 30 years later, as civilization places ever-increasing demands on our planet, Sagan’s message of compassion and preservation resonates with an even greater urgency.”

“Pale Blue Dot” for five-octave marimba was commissioned through a consortium organized by Dr. Jeffery Crowell and 12 other individuals. It opens and closes with a constant sextuplet rhythm that provides an accompaniment to accented melodic pitches (almost minimalistic in its effect). Additional sections provide contrast, creating a mosaic of almost chorale-like content. Effective dynamic control and sensitivity to rubato transitions provide a unique aural tone-painting to the composer’s awe and wonder of Earth’s existence as a “pale blue dot.” This composition would be appropriate for a mature, skilled four-mallet marimbist.

—Jim Lambert
Percussive Notes
Vol. 61, No. 3, June 2023