Composer

:

Robert Moran

Genre

:

Orchestral

Style

:

Orchestral

Compose Date

:

1995

Average_duration

:

8:58

"32 Cryptograms for Derek Jarman" is a contemporary classical composition by American composer Robert Moran. The piece was composed in 1991 as a tribute to the late British filmmaker Derek Jarman, who had passed away earlier that year due to complications from AIDS. The premiere of the piece was held on November 23, 1991, at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, England. The composition consists of 32 short movements, each of which is a musical representation of a cryptogram or code. The movements are performed without pause, creating a continuous flow of sound that lasts approximately 45 minutes. The piece is scored for a chamber ensemble of 12 musicians, including strings, winds, brass, and percussion. The characteristics of "32 Cryptograms for Derek Jarman" are varied and eclectic. The piece draws on a wide range of musical styles and influences, including minimalism, serialism, and avant-garde experimentalism. The use of cryptograms and codes as a compositional device adds an element of mystery and intrigue to the music, as listeners are invited to decipher the hidden meanings behind each movement. Despite its complexity and intellectual rigor, "32 Cryptograms for Derek Jarman" is also deeply emotional and personal. The piece is a tribute to a dear friend and collaborator of the composer, and as such, it is imbued with a sense of loss and mourning. The music is at times mournful and elegiac, at other times frenetic and chaotic, reflecting the tumultuous emotions that accompany the experience of grief. Overall, "32 Cryptograms for Derek Jarman" is a powerful and moving work of contemporary classical music. Its unique blend of intellectual rigor and emotional depth makes it a fitting tribute to the life and work of Derek Jarman, and a testament to the enduring power of music to express the most profound human experiences.

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