Mirrors, Echoes (2004) is a set of variations for orchestra in one movement. As in the music of Robert Schumann (Abegg Variations) and Johannes Brahms (Symphony #3), the variations are not based on a melody or bass line, but on only a few notes, in this case: RE, MI, FA, SOL. Virtually every note in the piece is mirrored in another register. The resulting doubled sonorities range from shimmering musical surfaces to rich, organ-like sounds. The mirroring also results in symmetries, canons and a host of musical palindromes. Characteristic of the work is the use of ìafter-imageî or echo; a sound may leave a trace of itself in shadow or another colour.
The orchestra used is large, but every wind, harp and percussion consort has a moment of focus, often with a solo for the principal of each section.