Program Note

Drawn from the first movement of Symphony No. 1, shortened and reworked in 2026, Consecration stands on its own. It is a musical act of remembrance, dedicated to those whose lives continue to resonate after their deaths. The title refers not to a religious ceremony but to the transformation of grief into an offering: an attempt to honor the departed through sound.

The work is framed by two orchestral “cries," the first frantic and stunned, the second an anguished outburst. After the opening tumult subsides, the trumpet presents three increasingly insistent statements, each posing the same question: “Why?” Between the cries, the piece moves through shifting states of disbelief, reflection, agitation, and rage. Percussion plays a prominent role, driving the music through streams of quick notes, while a recurring rhythmic motto provides a thread of memory. Near the midpoint the music grows calm, then slowly gathers a sense of determination that builds in intensity until it explodes into the final cry.

David Dzubay, November 2026