R. Christopher Teichler, Composer: Music

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This piece is in three movements: I. PASSACAGLIA, II. BALLAD, III. WALTZ. Originally written for string quintet, I decided to expand it for string orchestra. I felt that it needed a broader and richer sound than the 5 instruments alone could provide.

I. PASSACAGLIA - The celli and basses introduce the repeated line, and it finds its way into all of the string parts throughout the movement.

II. BALLAD - This movement opens with a swelling harmonic figure which occurs in different string combinations throughout the movement. The melody in this movement is a rich, romantic tune with hints of jazz.

III. WALTZ - Before composing this movement, I had an image in my head of a well-dressed couple stoically dancing a waltz. There is a consistent "oom-pah-pah" feel throughout and a recurring homage to Tchaikovsky. There is a more intense rhythmic and syncopated feel than is found in most waltzes, and a more aggressive, yet still tonal, harmonic language.