Symphony no. 6, I: The Progress of Fate

As of uploading time, this is all that really exists of my sixth symphony so far. None of my efforts to continue it by writing subsequent movements have come to fruition; the rest of the symphony doesn't feel 'ready' in my mind yet. That could change tomorrow or remain the same for months, but I decided not to let the first movement spend ages languishing with no one to hear it.

Symphonies are interesting things. They're in a way rather like novels, with themes acting as characters that undergo development and transformation. And like a good novel or movie, there is often a meta-narrative of crisis and resolution. How this looks can vary widely from symphony to symphony; there may be a progression of tragedy to triumph, or of sadness to joy. Or it may be the reverse - unfounded happiness collapsing like a house of cards, followed by tragedy that is itself the resolution.

In my own symphonic works, the first movement usually presents the question needing to be answered. That is the case here. The question in this music is framed with dark and dramatic undertones that never seem to fully leave. And like you, I do not yet fully know the answer. We shall see.