Summary: A Prophecy Of Peace By Samuel Adler

During the spring semester of 2015, the Sam Houston State University music department conducted a concert that showcased the works of contemporary composer Samuel Adler. Not only was Adler himself in the audience, he was a clinician for each of the ensembles and worked with them directly. Adler wrote music for many different types of groups. At this concert alone, the Sam Houston State University Chorale, Symphony Orchestra, and Wind Ensemble were featured. Included in the program of this concert are the pieces “A Prophecy of Peace,” “Requiescat in Pace,” and “Southwestern Sketches.” Samuel Adler’s “A Prophecy of Peace” is a choral composition sung at this concert by the Sam Houston State University Chorale. The beginning started off in a
There was a clarinet solo with some very light accompaniment in the background. The solo was then passed off to other instruments as the orchestra began to crescendo gradually to a nice forte volume. The low brass section had a heavy, accented bass line, and the cymbal clashes and timpani added in to give the piece a lot of power. Then the French horns took over with the melody while the high woodwinds played very dissonant chords. Up until this point, the piece was dominated by the wind section of the orchestra. Then, the lower strings took the melody and accompaniment and played in a very smooth, legato style at a mezzo forte volume. After that feature, the strings and winds became intertwined, and the piece stays very dissonant for the rest of the time. The piece ended somewhat similar to how it started – pianissimo without the element of
In the beginning, the brass sustained a note, crescendoed, and finished the idea at a fortissimo volume. It was very brass and percussion heavy, and there gave it a lot of power. All of that was then offset by a woodwind entrance, and the tone of the piece got a lot calmer as the volume suddenly went to a mezzo piano and a moderato tempo. Then it went to a subito forte volume at an allegro tempo when the brass joined back in. There was one section in the piece where a piccolo held out a very high note during a soft part, and it was hard to tell whether it was supposed to be a dissonant moment or if the piccolo was really out of tune. After that part, the percussion came in with a syncopated rhythm where unusual notes were accented. Then the brass responded to that and accented unusual notes in their melody as well. That cadence ended with a dissonant chord, and the piece moved into series of duets. The timbre was very mellow, and the tempo was at an andante. Once again, the piece changed directions and suddenly was back at an allegro. The flutes had the melody while the clarinets played a countermelody underneath it. Eventually, brass and percussion joined in again and brought the overall volume of the band back to a forte, and the piece finished out strong. The majority of this piece was in duple