Corona - The Solar Trilogy No. 3 for Orchestra was composed by Poul Ruders in 1995.Programme note:CORONA makes the final part of the SOLAR-TRILOGY a huge symphonic triptych about the life and behavior of the Sun. The first'panel' GONG depicts the birth life and final collapse of our nearest star the second ZENITH describes in its ultra-slow tempo the patient rise of the Sun toward midday ferocity and its subsequent setting. CORONA then is a symphonic 'portrait' of the phenomenally hot whispy brim encircling and radiating from the Sun a sizzling halo of electrons and photons visible only during a total eclipse. Formally CORONAfollows the process of such totality in progress:the gradual eclipsing by the Moon - total darkness with thefierce sparkling outer corona - the gradual 'rebirth' of the light toward the full gl.ory and warmth of the Sun.Besides the obvious astronomical narrative of the SOLAR-TRILOGY there's a metaphysical angle too underlying each of the three compositions: GONG in spite of its apparent energy may be the most pessimistic of them all epitomizing the death and ultimate annihilation of the prime source of Life itself. ZENITH is a hommage to human aspiration and spiritual endurance and CORONA ends with Hope and Glory after a journey from depression throughtotal despair. Super-structurally the zenith of ZENITH makes the zenith of the entire trilogy i.e. when the E- flat of the unisone horns in ZENITH is heard we are exactly halfway through the collected work.Poul Ruders

Soleriana is one of the longest orchestral works of the Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo. Each of its eight movements are based on a different Harpsichord sonata by his compatriot Antonio Solar (1729-1783) hence the title. Scored for a chamber orchestra of Flute Piccolo Oboe Clarinet Bassoon Horn Trumpet and Strings it was first performed by the Berlin Philharmonic in 1953. The delightful orchestration mimics the sound of the original Harpsichord. Joaquin Rodrigo (1901-1999) was born in Valencia and lost his sight to diphtheria at the age of three. He began to study music five years later and became one of Spain’smost distinguished composers musicologists and pedagogues.