

David Moliner
Estructura IV
Short instrumentation: 3 2 3 3 - 4 3 3 1, perc(4), pno, str
Duration: 17'
Instrumentation details:
piccolo
1st flute
2nd flute
1st oboe
2nd oboe
1st clarinet
bass clarinet in Bb
2nd clarinet
1st bassoon
contrabassoon
2nd bassoon (+bsn)
1st horn in F
2nd horn in F
3rd horn in F
4th horn in F
1st trumpet in C
2nd trumpet in C
3rd trumpet in C
1st tenor trombone
bass trombone
2nd tenor trombone
tuba
1st percussion
2nd percussion
3rd percussion
4th percussion (+cel)
piano
1st violin I (14 players)
1st violin I (14 players)
violin II (12 players)
viola (10 players)
violoncello (8 players)
double bass (6 players)
Estructura IV
Sample pages
Work introduction
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.
What is necessary to perform this work?
The work needs as an extra instruments:
-36 Harmonicas* (Clarinets, Bass Clarinet, Bassoons, Contrabassoon, French Horn, Trumpets, Tuba, Violin II, Violas)
-17 Metal Whistles (Piccolo Flute, Flutes, Oboes, Bassoons, Contrabassoon, French Horns, Trumpets, Bass Trombone)
-1 Lottoflöte