SYMPHONY NO. 3 HIRAETH 

Commissioned by and recorded live with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra | Pavle Dešpalj, conductor at the World Premiere on April 22, 2016 at Lisinski Hall in Zagreb, Croatia.

Symphony No. 3 Hiraeth coming from the Cymraeg (Welsh) language, Hiraeth has no direct English translation. It combines the ideas of ‘longing’ and ‘yearning’ with a strong sense of rootedness, place and belonging. A deep, wistful, nostalgic sense of longing for home; a home that is no longer or perhaps never was. A yearning and wistful grief for people and places of your past.

Hiraeth Symphony follows the four-movement structure of the sonata-symphonic cycle with a slow introduction to the Allegro, which separates and becomes a movement in and of itself. The end result is a five-movement symphony similar to Scriabin’s treatment of the symphony, but with shifted accents. The first and the last movements of Hiraeth Symphony are meant to be the “I” kind of story, very personal and deep. The middle movements are more open and outward, with elements of the theater in music. Therefore, the first movement has more weight and importance in the circle than the following Allegro, which is faster and shorter than it would be traditionally.

Today, Aleppo, the oldest inhabited city in the world, is resisting the most tragic destruction of a culture and history that are so significant, not only to the Syrian people, but to all of humanity. Starting with the invention of the alphabet, music notation and scientific breakthroughs that impacted and changed the course of mankind. Even while I was dropping my notes on paper to write this work, bombs and rockets were being dropped on the city and people of Aleppo. Each movement highlights different maqams (modes) that derive their names from different stops and regions along the Silk Road. By integrating ancient and traditional melodies with the Western symphony structure, I am attempting to preserve the rich musical heritage of Syria, especially that of Aleppo, at a time when humanity is witnessing the eradication of the cradle of civilization.

The first movement is written in complex form, with the elements of variations on the Soprano ostinato, rondo, and three-part forms. But all elements are mixed and unbalanced, for example the episode with the violin solo could also be a middle part of the three-part form, however it is too short and the following reprise of the theme is not long enough in comparison to the substantial music which came before. This is meant to be a requiem for Syrian civilization, so the symphony starts with the ending in retrograde and all that follows is recollections, dreams of how it will be, pictures of what has been.

The second movement is furious and destructive in a theatrical style that is very typical of Mahler and Shostakovich. It is composed in the Sonata form, but is quite compact, even maybe compressed. The very climax of the development is, so to speak, “soundization” (like visualization, but with sound rather than sight), a translation of powerful and emotional images into sounds.

The third movement plays the role of Scherzo. Well, in fact it is a Scherzo with unexpected twists, distortions and sudden changes of mood. It is composed in the Rondo form and initially was a separate substantive piece, which goes well with the entire structure of the symphony.

The fourth movement is a slow movement, a sort of Adagio. Usually, an Adagio is meant to be the lyrical climax of a symphony. Here it is not. The desired effect is that of an action scene portrayed in a fresco painting, static and “frozen” in time.

The fifth movement is in fact the lyrical climax of the piece. It is written in the collage form, with maximum effort to avoid repeating themes after their introduction. Each theme is a memory of this moment, and in the end, the requiem theme reappears, as if it has always been there.

SYMPHONY NO. 2 LUMINOSITY 

Commissioned by and recorded with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Krešimir Batinić, conductor on February 8, 2016 at The American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York City.

World Premiere at Carnegie Hall on February 6, 2016 with the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Krešimir Batinić, conductor.

The Story of Luminosity:

In October 2012, I traveled to Northern Syria to meet with children who had been displaced from their homes and were forced to live in makeshift camps. These children were sleeping in tents with no heat or running water. Their schools had been destroyed and they were living in the most difficult of conditions.

Late one evening we were making our way to the next camp and came across a group of children. In the dark of night, they were chanting. Chanting for freedom and a peaceful future and calling for an end to the dictatorship and oppression that had forced them to leave their homes and schools. There was no one there to see or hear them, yet that did not stop them from raising their voices high. In pitch darkness they created their own light, the light of their courage, optimism and hope. It is this light that inspired Symphony No. 2 Luminosity. My hope is that my music can be a voice for these children who were chanting alone in the dark and that their light will be a beacon for us all, for peace and humanity.

The beginning of the 20th century is perhaps the best period in the history of music. The musical language of this work was oriented on this period, maybe with a flavor of Nikolai Myaskovsky (1881 – 1950). Luminosity is written for a chamber orchestra, and although there are fewer instruments, there are more colors that are explored and the resulting sound is one of a unique symphony orchestra. The limited number of instruments turned out to be a blessing, with this tension itself leading to interesting results. As always in chamber music, the most expressive moments are in the details.

The intention was to compose this work as a symphony, not as just a piece in one movement for an ensemble, but a fully loaded sonata-symphony cycle in four movements:

I Moderato
II Scherzo 
III Andante 
IV Allegro

Each movement highlights different maqams (modes) that derive their names from different stops and regions along the Silk Road. By integrating ancient and traditional melodies with the Western symphony structure, this symphony is an attempt to preserve the rich musical heritage of Syria, especially that of Aleppo, at a time when humanity is witnessing the eradication of the cradle of civilization.

The first movement is a Sonata Allegro, but not the typical form of a Sonata with a slow introduction, huge exposition and without reprise. Instead of a reprise, it contains a Coda with the sound of a ticking clock.

The second movement is a vivid Scherzo in the rondo form. The third movement is an Adagio, a lyrical climax of the cycle. One can hear the introduction of the first movement in a softer, gentler treatment. The fourth movement, the Finale, ends the symphony with a huge, epic climax.