Notes

The title "Strange Paradise" is derived from an association made with the main theme of this work The theme is from Alexandre Borodin's Polovetsian Dances; a theme that also happens to be the source material for the popular song Stranger in Paradise (from the musical, Kismet). I chose to use the Polovetsian Dances theme because, when I was younger, I used to hear it all the time on radio in both versions. This association with my youth led to the creation of materials for the work that were more "lick" and "riff" oriented. These licks and riffs give the work a "pop" flavor that is like a stranger in a paradise that is the concert hall. This loose analogy drove the composition of this work, which was originally a commission from the BUTI Wind Ensemble under the direction of Frank Battisti for a high school-leve piece.

Before its revision in 2003, this piece was titled "Inconnurvana".