This piece works precisely because it is so delicately and consciously constructed. Despite the seeming randomness of many of the musical (and verbal) phrases, there is actually a careful emotional and intellectual build in An Introduction to the Moon, and a surprisingly linear structure becomes evident after listening to the piece several times. The textures that at first seemed so different are actually linked through purposeful transitions that are sometimes somewhat jarring but generally rather smooth and always definitely observable. The consistent rhythm, or rather the consistent lack of rhythm, allows the piece to move forward freely through each of the different tonal and textural qualities without imposition, and without the piece feeling forced or contrived. The pacing and direction of the piece are evocative of spaceflight and weightlessness --...

The intellectual impact of the text is by turns humorous and intensely though provoking, allowing for a similar type of purposeful and directed free-wandering that mimics the physicality of the piece.
The title of the piece also gives clues as to its construction and its success. This is an introduction to the moon, not an exploration or an examination of it. The newness of the inquiry, and the freshness and strangeness of the piece mixed with qualities that are evocative of a shared past and distanced familiarity, are essential aspects of the composition's success. This is not a musical lecture on the Moon, nor is it an overtly awe-inspiring view of a known yet alien landscape. Instead, it is the brief moment of wonder and excitement that accompanies any introduction.