3 Instrumental Scenes (2023)

3 Instrumental Scenes - Performance Recordings

Painting as an art form usually manifests itself into frames of colors. Within these frames, there exists a world of its own, waiting to be experienced and interpreted by the viewer. A magical aspect of art in general is how audience members can immerse themselves into these landscapes and create a story and emotions of their own. In this way, it becomes more personal and catered to the individual.

I feel this is what absolute music achieves. 3 Instrumental Scenes is a set of 3 frames set in their own worlds. The scenes depict their own sound narratives that the audience can follow, and make of their own. In my own interpretation though :

I. is a celebratory and ecstatic dance that takes a moment of reflection, then reinvigorates itself to end in a brilliant and proud sense;

II. mourns itself and becomes frustrated, consuming itself in anger, after which it reaches its peak and returns to finish its weeping...with one more moment of anger; and

III. is lost in its own madness, wandering aimlessly until what seems like a moment of a subdued calmness...which is of course taken over again by the anguish. The work continues into a buildup until the deceptive, yet hopeful-esque end.

- Composer

3 Instrumenal Scenes - III. - Performance Recording - Steven Amaro, Finley Farrar - UTSA Recital Hall