Splash! for oboe (English horn), clarinet (bass clarinet), and bassoon,

was inspired by summer travel to three very different water-related sites.

 

I. La Fontaine Stravinsky - Located near the Pompidou Center in Paris, the Stravinsky Fountain features sixteen marvelous kinetic sculptures by Jean

Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle. Each colorful, humorous, joyful creation corresponds to a specific piece of Stravinsky’s music; together these spinning and spouting  sculptures form an exuberant tribute to this great composer.

 

II. Lost Lake - Hidden deep in the woods, this west Michigan lake requires

some persistence to find. Once there, you’ll experience a beautiful yet mysterious body of water - fairly placid on the surface, but with a hint of something brooding and sinister churning underneath.

 

III. The Devil’s Bathtub - Ohio’s Hocking Hills State Park, with its ghostly

caves and breathtaking waterfalls, offers great hiking trails carved through

the variegated Blackhand sandstone. In the Upper Gorge of Old Man’s Cave

is the Devil’s Bathtub, a swirling vortex that legend says descends down to the gates of Hell. In actuality, it's only a few feet deep.