Ultra Violet is cast in two large movements, each of which focuses on a different musical process. The first movement, “Unpolished Wishes,” initially features a limited pitch collection presented through rhythmic figures of unequal subdivisions. As the work unfolds, the dynamics and textural density increase, the rhythms become more animated, and the spectrum of available pitches expands. The second movement, “In This Transparency There Will Be Another Transparency, for a Moment,” begins with two distinct musical elements: fierce flurries of grace notes that are metrically unconnected to any “target pitches,” and aggressively accented thirty- second notes that punctuate the texture in pointillistic fashion. As the movement proceeds, more of the isolated thirty-second notes appear, forming larger constellations of complex polyrhythms that gradually enfold the grace note figures, effectively filling the empty metrical space. Essentially, Byron has constructed a sophisticated musical form by which the effervescent and seemingly ornamental quality of grace notes becomes a functional part of an accumulation process leading to strict articulation. One of the most noble functions of art lies in its capacity to amaze us, to generate a deep sense of wonder at the sheer beauty and mystery of the human experience. For decades, American composer Michael Byron has been dedicated to exploring the awe-inspiring nature of beauty through the development of a unique musical style marked by extreme polyrhythmic complexity, intricate contrapuntal textures, and the constant transformation of opulent fields of harmony. Seduced by the principle of multiplicity, Byron typically designs elaborate and exacting structural templates for his music. His compositional approach poses both aesthetic and technical challenges to the composer, the performer, and the listener, and most of his scores require the highest degree of virtuosity to execute with accuracy. He enlisted pianists Marilyn Nonken and Joseph Kubera and set out to compose The Ultra Violet of Many Parallel Paths. Rather than creating a hierarchical relationship between the two players, Byron preferred to establish the condition of musical equity. “The music was conceived to behave as a single organism. Everything is in permanent transition” The rigorous pursuit of sublime beauty remains central to Byron’s creative process, and he is unequivocal in his assertion that “only the astonishing can be beautiful.” Accordingly, there are no dichotomies in his music between form and content, structure and sensuality, or intellect and emotion. Possessing a sentimental disposition, Byron often muses that he is “the last romantic composer,” a quality that is reflected in the evocative titles of his compositions. The poetic images not only serve his penchant for fantasy, but they also invite the performers and listeners to enliven their imaginations, to transcend the mundane, and to inhabit an exalted realm in which the ultraviolet waves that remain outside the spectrum of visible light are rendered audible. Adapted from Eric Smigel’s program notes.