From Greek, élegos, lament. That is what this piece of music does. Written for a funeral service of a family member, this piece can be harsh and haunting, but also honest and comforting. The topic at heart is the case of the non-tragic death, dealing with the emotions attributed to the universal experience of losing something, or someone cherished. Loss, grief, despair- yet also finding a subtle joy in a community coming together, being emotionally present with one another and the growth that sprouts from being confronted with death and seeing it for the first times.

This piece incorporates older musical idioms, taking a step away from hyper-modern contemporary esthetics. Nevertheless, it remains firmly rooted in the present, infused with the melodic and harmonic language of a composer born in 1999. This compositional philosophy is in line with the idea that a human life is a varied timeline where change is constant, while something of the past inevitably remains with us.

The music is grounded in minor while exploring different branches of that tonality, incorporating bold chromatic colors and varied textures. Cellos and violas provide haunting chromatic counter melodies to the lamenting violins. The form of the piece is in a modified menuetto (A1 B A2). A consists of 3 themes. In the repeat, A2, the themes are presented in reverse order.

You can hear it performed in a trio format consisting of 2 violas and 1 cello, or a string orchestra version. The latter is significantly different. The string orchestra version can also be arranged for a string sextet (2,2,2).

The piece has a playtime of approx. 7:30 minutes and could, for example, fit well into an larger concert programme consisting of Russian romantic composers and French composers.