Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Third Movement of Piano Trio

I have just completed the second movement of my piano trio and have made much progress with the third movement this week. The final movement of my trio depicts the lowest three rings in hell according to Dante: Violence, Fraud and Treachery. Dante considers these sins to be the worst ones any person could commit. Therefore, they are located in the darkest part of hell.

Unlike the first and second movements which are highly energized and forceful for the most part, the third movement completely contrasts this atmosphere. I have subtitled the movement "The Frozen Lair," which is in reference to the lowest ring of hell (Treachery). Those persons condemned to this ring are fully or partially submerged in ice, depending on the severity of their sin, and they are unable to move. This movement attempts to evoke this feeling of constraint and stillness through static melodic lines and space in terms of time and musical texture. The piano creates a dark and mysterious atmosphere through use of extended techniques on the strings inside the piano. While I will reference Violence and Treachery in the places where the intensity builds, this movement will mostly focus on the final ring. The form is two large sections. The first depicts the rings and the second will be an epilogue (parallel to the opening prologue in the first movement). The epilogue will have a solemn atmosphere (mourning all of the dead souls) and will end on a slightly optimistic note (depicting Dante and Virgil's ascent out of hell and upward toward purgatory). I am presenting my progress on the third movement this week in class and looking forward to the feedback.      

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