“Symphonies of Silence” by Kathryn Louderback

I recently had the opportunity to compose, record, and attend the premiere of my original wind ensemble composition Symphonies of Silence. I began writing the piece in May of 2017, and on May 31, 2018, the Oregon State University Wind Ensemble premiered it at their final concert of the school year. Here is a video of the performance:

Symphonies of Silence

Program Notes

Symphonies of Silence is the second composition Kathryn Louderback has written for Dr. Chris Chapman at Oregon State University. Inspired by Symphonies of Wind Instruments by Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971), Symphonies of Silence develops two contrasting moods, each telling a unique story before coming together.

Silence is a double-edged sword. It provides a means for creativity, yet it leaves an opening for turmoil. It stimulates growth and reflection, but it magnifies fire’s ravaging effects. Silence is a place for happiness and misery, hope and despair, chaos and calm. In ancient languages, The term “symphonies” means “sounding together”. In Symphonies of Silence, each musical element comes together to grapple with the opposing forces fostered in silence.

The composition’s most important driving force is a chorale. The hymn’s influence permeates the music, even though the full chorale is not heard in its entirety until the end of the work. In Symphonies of Silence, conflict and prayer dance with each other as the story of hope unfolds.

Analysis

General Thoughts

It’s important to understand that the entire work is based on a chorale (9:34-10:05 in the video). While this hymn is in C Major, its peak is an A minor chord. That is the crux of Symphonies – the work is basically 10 minutes of moving from A minor to C Major.

There are two contrasting ideas in Symphonies: a chaotic, contrapuntal, sort-of-atonal atmosphere that is interrupted by a hymn-like, lush, static mood. Each manifestation of the chaos gets more and more out of control, and each hymn “interruption” explores more of the chorale without actually finishing it (until the very end of course).

And finally, each section influences the development of the following sections until the resolution of the piece, where the chorale is heard for the first time in its entirety.

In-Depth Discussion

First Sections

Beginning (0:00-1:32): The opening of Symphonies creates suspension (with some nebulous color in the moving parts). It’s mournful, but there’s still an electric energy. Everything in this section sets up how the rest of the piece is going to unfold: the piano crunch, the long notes unfolding into the A minor chord, and the percussion/harp motifs. All of these return in different forms throughout the work.

A (1:32-2:39): This section builds up into the main body of the piece. There is a little more movement here so that the energy from the beginning has a place to go. The chorale-like ending to this section foreshadows what is to come.

Chaos vs. Calm

B (2:39-3:11): This section introduces the chaotic atmosphere with the first set of hymn interruptions. These ideas contrast heavily in tone and mood, which is why they flow so well together. The crisp staccatos and the sparse texture in the chaos leaves a feeling of insecurity, while the chorale measures provide some fleeting stability.

C (3:11-3:25): Slowly, the chaotic ideas expand. Each individual instrument does its own thing, which creates multiple lines of texture and sound. There is a sense of stumbling and doubt as the rhythms, dynamics, and instrumentation continuously changes.

D (3:25-3:47): Here, the melody is in the low brass (which foreshadows to the chorale). Each moving line supports the tune, which makes this section feel more balanced and calm than the previous measures. 

E (3:47-4:08): The mood gets chaotic and, as layers are added, the sound spirals more and more out of control. A new melodic theme is introduced here as well (3:58). This section builds into a wave of sound before abruptly dropping off into the next section.

F (4:08-4:57): This section consists of a static calm, heavily contrasting with (but still influenced by) the energy in the previous section. You can actually hear some form of the chorale; listen for the low flute and high bassoon. The percussion provides a heartbeat in the background, and a dramatic drop-off hearkens back to the end of section E.

Development

G and H (4:57-5:31): These two sections go hand in hand as the last completely atonal chaotic measures. Listen for the theme at 5:09; it gradually gets more and more out of control until the abrupt silence at the end (in fact, this theme is a pseudo-fugue that transfers between various instruments until everyone is adding to the chaos).

I (5:31-6:30): This is one of my favorite sections. It’s calm and static like the other chorale interruptions, but this time it has a little more tension left over from H in the form of dissonance and extra crunch in the bass. Listen for the heartbeat in the percussion.

J and K (6:30-7:04): This section of chaos is different from all of the ones prior: it has a purpose. It knows where it’s going, and there’s a new, driving energy about it. The key signature is centered around A minor, like the opening. There’s counterpoint going on here as well, and the theme in the low woodwinds undergoes the most development (starts at 6:35). The chords at the end of K are the same chords coming out of A, and this is the second-to-last and second-biggest build-up of the entire piece.

L and M (7:04-7:48): Suddenly we are centered in C Major. There is still a driving energy, but the key change and the sudden drop-off from the previous section result in a fresh sound. At 7:24, the atonal theme enters one last time (except now we are in CM), and the ideas in sections J, K, and L combine to create the climax of the piece. 

Build-up and Resolution

N and O (7:48-8:47): This is the most exciting part of the piece! The mood here is one of energy, hope, and renewal. To leave behind the chaos, the flutes and clarinets have the main theme (the chorale). However, one last abrupt break in the sound interrupts the hymn before it finishes.

P (8:47-9:34): This section calls back to the mood of the beginning with the piano crunch, ambiguous percussion, and sustained brass in A minor. The atmosphere here starts mournful, but when the winds enter at 9:15, we are reminded of that hope heard in previous sections.

Q and R (9:34-10:43): Here, the chorale is heard for the first time in full (finally). The trumpet solo has the melody, and the other instruments weave in and out to create a sense of peace and closure. It characterizes Symphonies of Silence as a journey from turmoil to hope. The work concludes with an atmosphere of relief and peace as a resolution.

Thank you so much for listening. What does Symphonies of Silence make you think of?