A very beautifully crafted worked. Comprised of ten short movements, the work never shifts off a serious note (actually, come to think of it, few of Part's pieces do). Played without breaks between movements, some transition work better than others. Typically, when shifting to quieter sections, the composing seems a little more natural and graceful. I'm not a huge fan of unexpected huge brass sfz, and there's a bit too much of that for my tastes. However, my favorite moment of the piece does happen to be a moment when shifting from gentle to strong (I know, the hypocracy of my own statements): the Consolante to Stridendo transition = perfect and epic.
For me, Part does quiet amazingly. In his soft moments he captures sadness, loss, heartache, and tenderness perfectly. His use of space and silence exemplifies a master doing what he does best. It takes a confident composer to use as much silence and Part does--it's a very effective tool that many composers over look. Notes are silver, rests are gold! My only real complaint about the piece is that it occasionally gets too loud with too many brass unisons. It sort of just sounds overly bold without reason. But on the whole, this is a nice piece to sit back, reflect on life, and enjoy.
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