The 2020 pandemic was an interlude in the life of our civilization. It seemed that everything we had considered normal was no more. It took considerable faith to believe that civilization would resume in anything like its previous form.
But then, the life of an individual is but an interlude. We're born, we die, and for some brief span we experience the wonders of this world.
Taking a larger view, the existence of homo sapiens is an interlude. Sharks have existed a thousand times longer than us and, I feel sure, will be around after we're gone.
Dispensing with these philosophical thoughts, I turned to the creation of a rather simple piece of music, short in duration, using limited means.
A string orchesra lacks the many colors of a full orchestra but has an appealing warmth and blend. I wanted the challenge of giving something interesting to this medium.
Interlude is clearly sectional. A slow introduction lays out all the basic materials of the piece. Violins then lead into a more passionate section. This ends when the lower instruments switch to pizzicato, and this forms a background for a violin solo which to me sounds rather pleasant.
A muted section marked "nebulous" follows the violin solo and precedes a cello solo. The cello, however, isn't in the same charming mood as the violin. It's agitated, becoming frustrated and angry. Everything comes to a stop. (An interlude?)
With an effort, the cello restarts the music. This recalls the passionate section of a few minutes ago. All instruments join in and the solo cello is subsumed into the tutti. A climax evaporates into recollections of previous music. The solo violin returns, with its pizzicato accompaniment, trying to put a calm face on what has been a difficult journey.