Estructura IV

As with every work that I write, Estructura IV: Dämonischer Iris

inhabits a world of its own. At the same time, it is the last in a series of

four orchestral pieces comprising my Estructura series; together, they

form a quasi-symphony lasting about an hour. Each component of the

Estructura series relates to a period in my evolution as a composer and

is associated with a figure from ancient Greek myth, as well as a color:

Eros and blue (Estructura I), Psyche and garnet (Estructura II), Venus

and yellow (Estructura III), and Iris and the rainbow (Estructura IV),

which I wrote as the culmination of the complete cycle.

These works are mostly associated with particular places or cities that

have left a lasting mark on my development. In 2020, I visited Dresden

for the first time and had an epiphany when I saw the nearby

Rakotzbrücke, the so-called “Devil’s Bridge.” The reflection of its arch

shape in the small lake traversed by this bridge forms the illusion of a

complete circle. What struck me was the powerful image of a rainbow

being reflected on the water as I crossed the Devil’s Bridge: the full

spectrum of colors beside the totality of the circle.

In Estructura IV, expression is of paramount importance — the full

spectrum of human emotions, just as the rainbow, symbolized by the

classical mythic figure of Iris, contains every color. The score calls for a

large orchestra, with four players for the percussion section alone (in

addition to four timpanists). They preside over such instruments as

hanging bell plates, spring coils, a rain maker, thunder sheets, water

drums and a party whistle, along with varied drums and tuned

percussion. My experience as a percussionist shapes my orchestral ideas,

including the idea of music that comes from the body, from physical

gestures.