Elegy for String Orchestra, Op. 334

This is my "Elegy for String Orchestra Op. 334 'For the Victims of the Beirut Port Blast (August 4, 2020)'". The Beirut Port Blast was a great explosion - one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history - that destroyed much of Beirut and killed more than 200 people, injured more than 6,000 people and left 300,000 people homeless, and of course left all other residents of Beirut shaken. I composed this "Elegy for String Orchestra" for all of those victims. May the memory of the dead be blessed, may the injured recover, may the homeless recover their homes, and may the shaken survivors and residents of Beirut find God's healing.

As a resident of Beirut and a survivor of the horrible explosion, I sought via this rather sombre piece to kind of turn the page and emotionally move on from that tragic experience. Let us hope that justice will find the culprits and compensate all the victims' families.

I can feel drama in this music. But it's too "vertical" almost the whole piece (chorale style perhaps). The chromatic part in the final part measure 20... are very dissonant, suddenly, E+Eb+D-C.  or C+D+F+E.

33 minutes ago, Luis Hernández said:

I can feel drama in this music. But it's too "vertical" almost the whole piece (chorale style perhaps). The chromatic part in the final part measure 20... are very dissonant, suddenly, E+Eb+D-C.  or C+D+F+E.

 

Thanks Luis for your review. It's good to hear that you feel the drama. Thanks also for your critical feedback. As far as the dissonance in the final part, it's in part intended as a way of conveying the gravity of the situation.

7 minutes ago, luderart said:

As far as the dissonance in the final part, it's in part intended as a way of conveying the gravity of the situation.

I understand. The issue is those dissonances are sudden, unprepared. When a surprising item comes out of the blue, it can be perceived as something "wrong", as a mistake. But if you have prepared it before, it will be assumed by the listener. "Repetition legitimazes". In this case, in a quite consonant atmosphere, those sudden strong dissonances are odd. But that's my opinion.