Four Short Pieces For a Commemoration

A four "episode" piece for woodwind quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, french horn, and bassoon).   Each episode expresses a different emotional.  Episode 4 features extended solo passages in which each instrument gets to "show off" their talents.

Short Excursions for Woodwind Quintet

This is the third "episode" of a four part piece for woodwind quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, french horn, and bassoon). You may listen to all 4 episodes in sequence here: https://soundcloud.com/user-103019890-849981543/short-excursions-for-woodwind-quintet

Short Excursions For Woodwind Quintet - Episode 3

Eric Heilner
This is the second "episode" of a four part piece for woodwind quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, french horn, and bassoon).  You may listen to all 4 episodes in sequence here: https://soundcloud.com/user-103019890-849981543/short-excursions-for-woodwind-quintet

Short Excursions For Woodwind Quintet - Episode 2

This is the first "episode" of a four part piece for woodwind quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, french horn, and bassoon). Episode 4 features extended solo passages in which each instrument gets to "show off" their talents. You may listen to all 4 episodes in sequence here: https://soundcloud.com/user-103019890-849981543/short-excursions-for-woodwind-quintet

Short Excursions For Woodwind Quintet - Episode 1

Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy is considered one of the greatest works of world literature. Its complexity, beauty, and profound exploration of theology and philosophy have solidified its lasting impact on Western culture.

Dante created a vivid depiction of the afterlife in this monumental work that continues to captivate readers and scholars alike. The epic series of cantics which makes the Commedia is a journey through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven, guided by the poet Virgil and his beloved Beatrice. Through vivid imagery and allegorical characters, Dante weaves a narrative that explores themes of sin, redemption, and the human experience.

The work inspired many composers to create musical adaptations based on its themes and characters. Among them are Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner, and Igor Stravinsky.

The Dante-Symphony (No. 10) by David Ezra Okonşar is another example of how Dante's Divine Comedy continues influencing artists across different mediums. These musical interpretations bring a new dimension to Dante's timeless masterpiece, showcasing its enduring relevance and impact on creative expression.

The symphony takes the audience on a journey through the depths of hell, purgatory, and heaven, using a unique blend of instrumentation and orchestral colors to capture the emotional intensity and spiritual journey of Dante's work. By blending classical music with modern instruments, the Dante-Symphony by David Ezra Okonşar offers a fresh perspective on the iconic narrative, captivating audiences with its innovative approach to storytelling through music.

The composition has three main movements (hell, purgatory, and paradise) and seven or nine sub-movements, following the subdivisions ("circles") of the Divine Comedy's hell (9), purgatory (7), and heaven (9) sections. Additionally, the composition incorporates a wide range of instruments, both traditional and electronic, as well as vocal styles to enhance the narrative and emotional impact.

The pitch-class organization of the symphony is as follows:
4 Main ("key") pitches are set for each movement. These are heard in isolation at the beginning and end of each movement. The "key" pitches are I. Cantica 
(inferno): C, C#, F#, B; II: Cantica: (purgatorio): D, F, Bf, E and III: Cantica (paradise): Ef, G, Af, A.
For each movement, 2 or 3 of these are repeated in the pitch universe, thus reducing the number of usable pitches out of 12. Reused pitches are I. Cantica: 
Inferno {C, F#}; II: Cantica: Purgatorio {F, Bf, E} and III: Cantica: Paradiso {Ef, G, A} . Cantica: Inferno {C, F #}; II: Cantica: Purgatorio {F, Bf, E} and III: 
Cantica: Paradiso {Ef, G, A}. Reusing pitches in this way creates a sense of unity and cohesion within the movement, and the 'absent' pitches give the 
section its own distinctive sound color, engaging the audience in a unique musical experience.

Three "leitmotifs" are present throughout the entire symphony: the "Dante-Theme," "Virgil-Theme," and "Beatrice-Theme." These leitmotifs are woven into the fabric of the symphony, representing the characters and themes from Dante's Divine Comedy. The repetition of certain pitches and motifs helps to guide the listener through the complex structure of the piece, creating a cohesive and immersive listening experience.

The Dante Symphony (No. 10) by Okonşar is a masterful example of programmatic music. Drawing inspiration from Dante Alighieri's epic poem, Okonşar's use of leitmotifs and unique orchestration techniques creates a rich tapestry of sound that transports the listener into the world of the Divine Comedy.

III. Prologue to Paradiso - Cantica: Paradiso - Epilogue to Paradiso

II. Prologue to Purgatorio - Cantica: Purgatorio - Epilogue to Purgatorio

I. Prologue to Inferno - Cantica: Inferno - Epilogue to Inferno

This orchestral work is based in the latin palindromic sentence: "In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni". Its title means "Torch" in Galician language and it's an interpretation of the previous latin sentence.
It uses harmonies coming from the planetarium systems Kepler-11 and Kepler-186, which also appears horizontally and not only vertically. Its form respond to the palindromic nature of the latin sentence and the slowly elimination of its principal motifs to the end. Also, this piece present some textures on the woodwind and string sections that recreate the character of the torch.

This record is a mixture from the live recording of its premiere night and its second performance by the CSMB orchestra in Badajoz (Extremadura, Spain) (23rd of January, 2025) and Villanueva de la Serena (Extremadura, Spain) (24th of January, 2025).
It was conducted by Juan Pablo Valencia.

Facho (in girum imus nocte et consumimur igni), for orchestra

Inno solare, for viola  
Violist: Alessio Toro  
Image: Guerrillaspam, Mappa stellare (detail)

℗ 2025 Alessandro Ventura  

Inno Solare

Composer and mathematician with a special interest in composing soundscapes and contemporary classical and electroacoustic music (also mixed music or live electronics). Moreover, I research the way to incorporate different mathematical process in music and to combine music with other arts and performance.

Also interested in photography.

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Compositor y cuasi-matemático con especial interés en la música clásica contemporánea, en la aplicación de procedimientos matemáticos a la música, en la música electroacústica y el paisaje sonoro; buscando combinar la música con otras artes y la performance.

También realizo incursiones en otras artes como la fotografía.

My new album - Modern Sounds in Classical Music - is now available on Bandcamp and all major platforms.

You can reach me through my web site:

Músico compositor egresado de la Universidad EAFIT y Magister en composición de la misma Universidad. Como compositor ha realizado obras para formatos de cámara, solistas, corales y orquesta sinfónica. Ha sido ganador de importantes concursos a nivel nacional, como la Beca de Creación de la Alcaldía de Medellín 2010 y 2013; obtuvo mención de Honor en el Concurso Nacional de composición “Ciudad de Bogotá” 2008. En Febrero de 2013 la Orquesta Sinfónica EAFIT le comisiona la obertura para el estreno del Stabat Mater de Rossini en Colombia, concierto dirigido por el director colombiano Andrés Orozco. En 2015 fue acreedor del Programa de Fomento de las Músicas Iberoamericanas de IBERMÚSICAS, en la modalidad de residencias artísticas de para compositores.

David Ezra Okonsar, Belgian pianist, composer, conductor and musicologist was born in Istanbul, Turkey. He studied piano, composition and orchestration at the Brussels Royal Conservatory and musicology at the Istanbul Technical University. His primary teachers were J. Cl. Vanden Eynden and Alexis Weissenberg for the piano and Madame Jacqueline Fontyn for composition. He is laureate of numerous international piano competitions including the Gina Bachauer. Besides his international concert career he is a prolific composer and music writer.

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