Friday, December 22, 2006

'Seven Deadly Sins'

I have been playing with this idea for a while now....but I think I finally found a way to do it. I want to write a piece for orchestra called "Seven Deadly Sins." And I want to give each sin a theme. Originally I thought it would have to be done in seven short movements, but now.....now I'm thinking I can do it in four. I just have to tell a story.

So I'm going to create a character and he will be influenced by the various demons associated with each deadly sin. In first three movements he will maliciously perform each of the deadly sins, and in the final movement, he will face judgement day, and he will be tormented by the sins he did commit while the demons laugh. The last movement should be a fast paced, complex, multi-tonal mix of all the sin's themes. Each theme will surface for a bit the be replaced by another until two and three themes are going at once.......and finally they will all be going together, expressing the eternal torment of this character.

So no one has to go looking for them.....here are the seven deadly sins and associated demons:
luxuria ( lust, Asmodeus), gula (gluttony, Beelzebub), avaritia (avarice/greed, Mammon), acedia (sloth, Belphegor), ira (wrath, Satan), invidia (envy, Leviathan), and superbia (pride/hubris, Lucifer).

Comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcome.

Monday, December 18, 2006

A Musical Dialogue

'Conversations for Concert Choir'

Begin with a topic - instruct the choir to discuss the topic. They may say anything (tangents welcome). Next, instruct them to follow the conductor. Continue the piece as long as the conductor sees fit.

This piece will only work if all members of the choir are involved and MULTIPLE conversations are present. Conductors may make decisions regarding entrances (for example: Basses start, add tenors, etc...). There is absolutely no time limit for this piece, however, the piece can only be enjoyable as long as the conductor stays creative! Crescendos, Decrescendos, and articulation are the spices of music - BE CREATIVE!

Decisions regarding metrical feel are left to the conductor - however, assigning a metrical feel is NOT recommended.

Additional instrumentation is possible, but must be well thought out!"

Thats all the conductor will get to perform the piece. I came up with this today during statistics when no one would shut the hell up. The music therefore is in what the choir says AND in the audience's reaction, which will probably be uneasy shifting and quiet whispers between each other.

The mood of the piece will be set by what words the audience can pick up from the choir, for example if someone yells "SLUT" then the piece will obviously have a more negative connotation to it, but if someone yells "OH JOY!" then there may be a sarcastic or joyous tone to the work.

~Kyle Wernke~