LOGOS
for orchestra (2010)
duration 10 minutes
instrumentation 3(2 dbl. alt. f., 3 dbl. pic.)3(3 dbl. eng. h.)3(2 dbl. cl. Eb, 3 dbl. b cl.)3(3 dbl cb.)-4331-timp-2 perc-harp-strings
premiere 8th October 2010 by the Copenhagen Phil, conducted by Jesper Nordin, at the Concert Hall of the Royal Danish Academy of Music, Copenhagen
Score available from Donemus
program
The title LOGOS refers to planetary Logoi, such as our own solar system’s Solar Logos, and takes as inspiration cosmic formation and destruction.
Like a musical Big Bang, the piece’s universe opens through the sound of musicians breathing through their instruments before starting on its developmental path. Four such breathy impulses set off more and more layers of shimmering textures, each flowing at its own speed towards the top of the orchestra’s range. Meanwhile, string chorales gather in speed and size, culminating together with the flowing layers into a climax evocative of a sunrise.
In the second section all sense of pulse dissipates. Here the strings take up a long meandering melody that hovers over a backdrop of slowly shifting chords. The melody starts to evolve into chromatically rising lines while the chords become more and more compressed in tempo, building enormously in intensity until the entire orchestra erupts violently - a star exploding.
Partly a gentle falling of the music that in the first section climbed to the orchestras upper limit and partly an aggressive music for trombones and cymbals, the third section is one of contrasts finding unity. Inspired by Tibetan music designed to ward of evil spirits, the crashing cymbals and growling trombones start to form into enormous brass chorales with the gentler falling music forming into soaring wind and string lines. Out of this resounding climax the music achieves almost complete stillness. String chords gently float up to a backwards rendering of the opening music as the Universe contracts back into nothingness, awaiting the next Big Bang.
duration 10 minutes
instrumentation 3(2 dbl. alt. f., 3 dbl. pic.)3(3 dbl. eng. h.)3(2 dbl. cl. Eb, 3 dbl. b cl.)3(3 dbl cb.)-4331-timp-2 perc-harp-strings
premiere 8th October 2010 by the Copenhagen Phil, conducted by Jesper Nordin, at the Concert Hall of the Royal Danish Academy of Music, Copenhagen
Score available from Donemus
program
The title LOGOS refers to planetary Logoi, such as our own solar system’s Solar Logos, and takes as inspiration cosmic formation and destruction.
Like a musical Big Bang, the piece’s universe opens through the sound of musicians breathing through their instruments before starting on its developmental path. Four such breathy impulses set off more and more layers of shimmering textures, each flowing at its own speed towards the top of the orchestra’s range. Meanwhile, string chorales gather in speed and size, culminating together with the flowing layers into a climax evocative of a sunrise.
In the second section all sense of pulse dissipates. Here the strings take up a long meandering melody that hovers over a backdrop of slowly shifting chords. The melody starts to evolve into chromatically rising lines while the chords become more and more compressed in tempo, building enormously in intensity until the entire orchestra erupts violently - a star exploding.
Partly a gentle falling of the music that in the first section climbed to the orchestras upper limit and partly an aggressive music for trombones and cymbals, the third section is one of contrasts finding unity. Inspired by Tibetan music designed to ward of evil spirits, the crashing cymbals and growling trombones start to form into enormous brass chorales with the gentler falling music forming into soaring wind and string lines. Out of this resounding climax the music achieves almost complete stillness. String chords gently float up to a backwards rendering of the opening music as the Universe contracts back into nothingness, awaiting the next Big Bang.