Tim Benjamin

composer, writer, storyteller

Three Pieces for Orchestra

2011

These three linked pieces (with an admitted influence from Berg’s work of the same title) have several layers of intent which inter-relate, but no specific “meaning”. On one level, as hinted by the movement titles, the perpetually difficult relationship between Science and Religion is explored. At another level there are several themes personal to myself.

All three pieces draw structurally from the concepts of Newton’s Laws of Motion, biological growth processes, and uncertainty principles. Broadly, these pieces are a musical exploration through ideas of belief and knowledge, life and death.

The materials which make an appearance in each movement of Three Pieces
The materials which make an appearance in each movement of Three Pieces

The percussion section is a big feature of the piece, and in each movement instruments of different materials are used exclusively: metal in the first, wood in the second, and skin in the third.

  1. I. My father's house has many rooms

  2. II. F = m dv/dt (con moto perpetuo)

  3. III. 24 : 43

Duration

24 minutes (I: 11 minutes, II: 5 minutes, III: 8 minutes)

Instrumentation

2fl (+picc), cl, bcl; 2tpt, hn, tbn, btbn; 3perc, hp, str. The brass sit together as a quintet.

Request a score / parts

If you would like to see a score and/or require a set of parts for this music, please contact me.