Symphony No. VII - TITAN Program Order
Multi movement works always pose the problem of balancing content and performance order. It’s comparable to buying a new rug for your home, then you must paint the walls or buy new pillows for the couch or buy a new couch. So goes the story with composing any group of multiple works.
The “other” Bookmarks, which of course will force me to compose even more Bookmarks so maybe not. I feel lucky I only had to write ten for TITAN to get my final five. After the dust settled, I listened to them with fresh ears, and it made me realize I had to write another for balance. A total of eleven. It was very easy to pick the subject and style. What I did not foresee was the turn it would take during its creation.
I love movement V, which was supposed to be number VI. “Sleeping Dragon” became a love story with a tragic ending. It would not provide the gigantic ending most would expect from twenty-seven minutes of music. Movement VI, “Kraken Mare”, quotes Movement IV, “Departure”, so it should not go before IV. Also, “Kraken Mare” has a strong ending, representing the willpower of mankind, the solution to light years of travel and the spirit, not to just survive, but to thrive on some of the most inhospitable worlds imaginable. So “Kraken Mare” provides a strong ending typical of multi movement works.
My program Order solution has the following options:
1: Play in the listed order.
2: Play them in any order you want.
3: Play them in the order I prefer, I, III, II, IV, VI and V.
There is no right or wrong order, make this journey yours.
That’s what music is all about anyway.
UNT Performance
UA Performance
