World Within, The

The World Within is a musical metaphor reflecting an individual’s yearning to be reconnected with his spiritual past while at the same time endeavoring to be effective in business and social interactions in the modern day world. While writing this work Buss was fascinated by how an acquaintance was resolving this dichotomy in his own life. Six days a week he works 10-hour days as a businessman, immersed in, and sometimes overwhelmed by, the fast-paced world of business. Yet without exception, he spends the entire day every Saturday at his Synagogue in worship, studying the Talmud, following ancient rituals, and reverently assisting the Rabbi in his sacred duties. In this work the 2 worlds, that of one’s modern secular existence and that of one’s spiritual heritage, are represented musically by two markedly different compositional procedures. The former is represented with a highly-structured, lyrical 12-tone style. The latter is more spontaneous and is influenced by Jewish musical idioms. In the slow, mysterious opening section these styles are juxtaposed however, as the composition develops they become synthesized in a thoroughly integrated manner. This is an significant work that is meaningful to perform, and enjoyable (an thought-provoking) to listen to. The World Within was written for clarinetist Keith Koons, and cellist, Melissa Kraut. It was premiered by these artists on February 6, 2000 at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.