Great piece, Alex!  I like the transitions between the movements.  Very well orchestrated as well!

really love the opening to the second movement!

Such skilled writing. Congratulations Alex!!

I was at this performance, and I remember this section with the celli. Chilling. Absolutely gorgeous writing!

An Elemental Music (2022) for orchestra

Commissioned by the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus
Performed by the La Jolla Symphony, cond. Michael Gerdes, March 2023

I. Crisp, bright
II. The Cold Song. Desolate, icy
III. Dark, mysterious — As in the first movement — Presto

In the three movements of "An Elemental Music," I seek to explore basic musical materials—things that are primary, fundamental, or “elemental”—in fresh and unanticipated ways. I wanted to delve into some of the core components of my musical craft, and I hoped to infuse them with a new vitality.

In the first movement, I start from a chord (the dominant seventh) ubiquitous in many musical genres, from nineteenth- century symphonies to the twelve-bar blues. But rather than using the chord as a means to an end, I view it as an object of musical exploration in its own right, treating it like a hub where many different harmonic paths converge. The music explores these paths in turn, winding through the orchestra in lively and colorful fashion.

The second movement is by far the longest of the three, comprising over half the total playing time of the work. The movement is a very free reimagining of the aria “What Power Art Thou” from Henry Purcell’s "King Arthur," also known as the “Cold Song.” In Purcell’s aria, the spirit of winter (the “Cold Genius”) is summoned to life: here, then, I use the word “elemental” not only as an adjective, but also as a noun, referring to the primal forces of nature that the Cold Genius embodies. In my version, I freely transform the shivering staccato motif and aspects of the harmonic progression from Purcell’s original, gradually building to an intense, chilling depiction of the Cold Genius. Fittingly, I finished this piece on a day of subzero temperatures in central Illinois.

The brief third movement revisits materials from the first, but in a distorted, out-of-order fashion—perhaps as if being recalled from a distant memory. The music eventually transforms itself into a jig that gives way to a grotesque, march-like climax.

An Elemental Music

Please visit my website for my latest works and recordings: https://alexstephenson.com

The music of composer Alex Stephenson (b. 1990) has been described as “masterfully orchestrated” and exhibiting “sonic beauty” (San Diego Union-Tribune). His work draws in equal parts from a deep-rooted lyrical spirit, a fascination with the science of sound perception, and a love of musical repertoires both old and new. With each project, he intertwines these diverse influences in novel ways, curating sonic worlds that feel simultaneously fresh and familiar.

Stephenson’s works have been commissioned by and received performances at the Tanglewood Music Center, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Breckenridge Music Festival, Royaumont Voix Nouvelles Festival, ISCM World New Music Days, Composers Conference, New York City Electroacoustic Music Festival, and numerous additional venues and institutions across the United States and in Europe. His recent and upcoming collaborators include the [Switch~ Ensemble], Susan Narucki, Duo Axis, Ensemble Dal Niente, Flux Quartet, and the La Jolla Symphony. 

Stephenson holds a doctorate in music composition from the University of California San Diego. He also studied at the Eastman School of Music, the University of Chicago, and, as a US-UK Fulbright Scholar, the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London. He currently resides in Central Illinois, where he is Assistant Professor of Music Theory and Composition at Illinois State University and co-directs the RED NOTE New Music Festival.

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