Song for Chamber Orchestra, Op. 6 (2014)
Song, for chamber orchestra, was written for Bard College’s Conductors Institute and was premiered as part of the composer-conductor program. An intriguing orchestration puzzle was presented by the chamber orchestra, with its solo strings and full wind sections: how to create a unified orchestral sound without full strings, and how to enable the solo strings to be prominent over the louder wind and brass choirs. I addressed the challenge by orchestrating contrapuntally in the style of Wagner and took specific inspiration from his Siegfried Idyll, also for chamber orchestra.
The title “Song” refers two things: firstly, the direct, songlike nature of the themes, and secondly, the structure of the piece, which is rather more complicated – three song-like ternary forms nested in one larger ternary form, if you don’t include the brief fugal interlude. The first “song” is sung to a loved one, the second to one’s self. After a fugal interlude, the two song melodies and the fugue subject are combined together in one final song.
Song for chamber orchestra