Hope of Dawn

by Paola SantillanH O P E O F D a w n was commissioned by composer and organist Alexandra Fol, in conjunction with the International Research and Information Centre Thracica in Bulgaria.

The piece depicts the tragic events of the Japan’s earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. The appalling images of this catastrophic event encouraged me to render a tribute to all the victims and their suffering.

Two ideas are alternated throughout the piece: Serene-­‐soft chorale like passages, in contrast with a Fast-­‐drastic passages characterized by chromatic relations. This alternation between these two main ideas happens 7 times throughout the piece.

A main 7-­‐note motive connects these two contrasting ideas, passed through the many organ layers, which becomes rhythmically altered or transposed in each section.

The piece begins with an ascending chordal idea in which a single note gradually builds in by adding extra notes thus creating a dense chord yet a placid one. This idea is constantly recycled throughout the piece and it symbolizes a revival of hope for all the survivors, as well as a spiritual praise to all the victims.

Fast-­‐drastic passages symbolize the severe drastic earth and water movements of both the earthquake and tsunami, respectively. Compositionally, these passages are created through interval codes in which occasionally, the main motive is added, either complete, incomplete or backwards.

The last idea of the piece happens to be the opposite process from the beginning. That is, an extremely thick yet peaceful chord gradually fades away by the subtraction of notes, resulting in a single note that represents the end of an intense, dramatic event but also a restoration of hope for a better future in the Japanese communities…