Water Colors

Water Colors, for orchestra is inspired by the act and art of painting. The piece is based on two alternate themes: the first is played by the strings section and occasionally is accompanied by chords in the piano and harp. Like a painter who lets his brush move freely on the canvas, the melodic line moves freely up and down. The melody is pretty mellow, nothing about its rhythm, dynamic or intervals is too expressive or dramatic. The second theme is in complete contrast, it is very rhythmic, loud and played by the brass section. From time to time, between the two themes' appearance, there is a phrase that is divided between the entire orchestra which consists of a series of ascending and descending broken major triads. The piece has three main sections, the first section contains the two themes that appear alternately a number of times. In the second section the order and organization that characterized the first section are now falling apart, the meter is not steady, the harmonic and melodic directions are not clear and the entire orchestra joins its forces together to create five big, loud and dramatic outbreaks. In this chaos, the first theme "finds" its way out, while the chaotic atmosphere dies, and that theme takes us to the third and last section which is based on the ascending/descending broken triads. The excitement is elevated and reaches a big climatic point at the end of the piece.

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ACO Performances

19th Underwood New Music Readings (2010)

May 20, 2010 5:30 pm
Miller Theater at Columbia University

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