Description
Reliquiae (2026)
for Solo Violin, Solo Cello, Solo Viola, and String Orchestra
Total Duration: ca. 19'40"
Work Description:
Reliquiae sits alongside Mea dea, meus amor, Luna as part of an ongoing cycle for string orchestra, turning to the vastness of cosmic heat death to express raw heartbreak, grief, and total loss. Where Mea dea reaches out toward unrequited love, Reliquiae deals with the pain of complete end—watching something irreplaceable slip away until nothing is left. Across all three movements, repeated chord structures and harmonic anchors hold the piece together as one long, continuous fall into dark.
Movements & Instrumentation:
I. Lumen Mortuum (5'50")
Solo Violin and String Orchestra
The solo violin’s high register carries a desperate, piercing flare of starlight screaming against the void, before slowly cooling and going black.
II. Gravitus (8'10")
Solo Cello and String Orchestra
Led by the heavy, mournful voice of the solo cello, Gravitus uses slow, dense dissonance to create physical weight. It reflects what remains after stars die: invisible husks you cannot see, but feel through their crushing gravity.
III. Memoria (5'40")
Solo Viola and String Orchestra
The solo viola, the instrument closest to the human voice, takes on the ultimate tragedy. It is the last remnant of a civilisation trying to recall a forgotten song, searching for a warmth that can never be recovered. As the orchestra fades to silence, the viola holds one final, fragile pianississimo note—a last breath trying to reach for one more phrase before drifting into absolute oblivion.
Full score video available at https://youtu.be/QM0eRo0Nuz4