The Cosmic Automaton (2025)

Instrumentation: 

Piccolo, Oboe, Clarinet in B flat, Bassoon 

Horn in F, Trumpet in C, Trombone 

1 Percussionist (Suspended Cymbal, Vibraphone, Glockenspiel, Tam-tam, Auxiliary Percussion Triangle, Cowbell, 2 Temple Blocks (high, low), Low Tom Tom) 

1 Pianist 

Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Double bass 

Score is in C 

Duration ca. 6' 20" 

Alternate Version (Mixed Sextet)

This work was revised and reorchestrated from an unperformed 2023 work for Clarinet in B flat, Cello, Percussion, Harp, and Piano This work received its world premiere on 21 March 2025 by the SCM New Music Ensemble, under conductor Benjamin Northey.

 About the Work: 

The universe can be thought of as a great big void, filled with a vast number of balls of burning gas. Most of it is nothing but empty space. It is cold, dark, and isolating. It is full of mysteries, unknowns, and even destructive forces such as supermassive blackholes. It tends towards chaos. However, the universe is also paradoxically filled with light. Clusters of stars form vast galaxies, with these galaxies themselves forming clusters and superclusters. Stars form systems, with various planets orbiting them, these planets form their own smaller systems with moons and other satellites. The atoms themselves that make up these stars and planets mirror the macroscopic, consisting of various electrons forming orbital clouds around a central proton-neutron nucleus, governed by the quantum processes of elementary particles such as quarks, leptons, and bosons. The universe is full of cycles, orbital cycles in galactic, stellar, and planetary systems, star 'life death' cycles, the CNO fusion cycle within stars themselves, and energy-matter conversion cycles. It is in constant motion, filled with growth and decay. Galaxies themselves are in a state of constant relative motion. The universe is in many ways like a giant life-like being - a Cosmic Automaton. 

© Adriel Sukumar 2025