David Bobrowitz

The Day the Earth Shook

A truly unique and exciting new work for string orchestra, this very original work musically describes an earthquake and its consequences. A slow dramatic beginning gives the audience a sense that something is about to happen. Suddenly, the tempo gets fast (bar 14) and we hear pulsating rhythmic figures that mark the start of the quake. Midway (bar 46) we get the feeling of buildings collapsing musically described by the harsh, descending dissonant chord patterns. Finally (bar 96) the earth stops trembling and we're left with a feeling of sadness over the devastation. This is a piece that shows off the abilities of your string group, and the students and audience will love its fresh approach to string writing!