Rhythmic, melodic and harmonic ingredients create a musical landscape with shades of color constantly shifting.
[2] The final movement "Bee Rebellion" is based on the phenomenon of hive collapse, when the insect society can suddenly break down into anarchy; the music features unpredictable cycles and accumulations, with taunting wind solos, all cut short by a brassy, percussion-driven ending that offers no escape.
[1] Nature Symphony calls for two flutes and piccolo, two oboes and English horn, two clarinets and bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, percussion (three players: marimba, vibraphone, bass drum, gong (large flat), triangle, claves, tam tam, tambourine, djembe, suspended cymbal, sandblocks, ratchet, large egg shaker), timpani, harp, piano, and strings As part of his review of the world premiere, Andrew Clements wrote of Nature Symphony, "The title suggests something programmatic, and the symphony’s three movements all have evocative titles, but there is nothing in them that’s obviously descriptive.
Listening to it unfold provides a fascination similar to watching birds or insects and puzzling over their behavior.
Though atonal, the piece has a strong rhythmic drive and a captivating sense of motion, and it creates tension and resolution in the development of its three and four note melodic cells.