The swooping, richly layered orchestral work “Elastic Harmonic” by 21st century Irish composer Donnacha Dennehy makes a dramatic entrance, pairing bright musical colors with surprising textures and dissonance — much like Frank Stella's "The Prophet."
Notice the contrast between the solo violin and the dissonance of the supporting ensemble while looking at the jagged lines and textures within "The Prophet," juxtaposed by the cohesiveness of the overall composition of the piece. As your eyes follow the work’s contours at the pace of the music, does the ride seem treacherous or thrilling? Or both?
Written in 2005 for violinist Ioana Petcu-Colan and Ireland’s National Symphony Orchestra, “Elastic Harmonic” pairs bright musical colors with surprising textures and dissonance. Dennehy is also on the faculty at Princeton University: Frank Stella’s alma mater.
Want to explore more music inspired by artwork in the Kemper Museum Permanent Collection? Listen to our Spotify playlist for full pieces.
Find more information about Frank Stella's 'The Prophet' on the Kemper's website.
You can find out more about the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art at kemperart.org.
View the full Kemper Museum Permanent Collection here.