"A reading in the woods", for large orchestra
Premiere: 30/April 2025 | Minas Gerais Philarmonic Orchestra, José Soares (cond.), Sala Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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Inspired by the painting "A peafecul read", by George Kilburne, "A reading in the woods" describes the scene of a young woman reading a book in the forest. We accompany her in the reading, and the different tales bring up different sound environments. However, noises from the forest may sometimes interrupt the reading. The line that divides what is real and what is in the book begins to fade while the reading happens.
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The piece is divided in six scenes: I. Arriving at the woods; II. First tale: a sad romance; III. Second tale: a hero; IV. Third tale: flower fields in a hot summer day; V. A diary from the inside out; VI. A fiery sunset and going back home.
​Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/live/D27DDh3FNrA?t=2198s
"About the sad song of an urban bird", for string orchestra
Premiere: 04/October 2025 | São Paulo Chamber Soloists, Teatro Cultura Artística, São Paulo, Brazil
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Inspired by the contrast between the sweetness of birdsong and the urban noise, "About the sad song of an urban bird" aims to address the life of a bird living in a large metropolis, not so literally as to attempt to emulate birdsong, but rather more symbolically, regarding the contrast between sweetness and innocence and the cacophony and urban density. Some sounds, however, evidently attempt to evoke that of a small bird.
It consists of three interconnected scenes: I. A troubled birth; II. Song and flight; III. Sudden death and a hopeless song. The second scene marks the climax of the piece, in which the bird attempts a rather twisted and ironic flight, which seems to momentarily take it to a tranquil environment, which then quickly dissolves. We end quite ironically and sadly, with the bird's abrupt and hopeless death in the third scene.
Thus, the piece isn't intended to be immediately pleasing to the ear for much of its duration, and we constantly find ourselves amidst quite dense, dissonant, and confusing soundscapes, such as urban sounds, from which the occasional sweet melody emerges and disappears.
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Watch it below.
"Nocturne for orchestra 'About a mysterious creature'", for large orchestra
Premiere: 30/October 2024 | Minas Gerais Philarmonic Orchestra, José Soares (cond.), Sala Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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"Nocturne for orchestra" is an unserious, lighthearted and fun piece that tells a story set in a magical forest during the night. Through the use of funny orchestration, the piece tells the story of a mysterious creature that is bound to wake up after a long time, and all it wants to do is dance and have fun. The other animals, however, just want to sleep and will have none of it. After some initial scenes, like the sun descending on the horizon and the animals running in chaos to their homes, the moon rises in the sky and the english horn anounces the awakening. After a lot of noise and dance, an annoyed bird (after a failed attempt to ask) decides it is enough, and convinces the other animals to organize a party to drive the crature crazy and make it go to sleep earlier. The piece ends with the rising sun.
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Watch it here: bit.ly/NoturnoJacobF