The Unknown Heart’s Song
Composed 2021
Duration: 8 1/2 minutes | For Symphonic Orchestra
Words are what we make of it and what we perceive can have different meanings for others. The same can be said for music. The Unknown Heart’s Song was inspired and written in the style of Nimrod, from Edward Elgar’s famous Enigma Variations. While the somber and patriotic characteristic of Elgar’s piece is commonly associated with world peace and harmony, the music I hear also works well with ideas of sacrificial love and devotion to one another. They are some of the life principles that I value and live by every day. And at the time of writing this, there was one person in my life with whom I fell in love and admired for having the same principles. She inspires me so much to become a better person and has shown me all the care and kindness in the world. I just had to write a piece for her.
The music is slow, lyrical, and singable. Its serene expression exemplifies that of a person’s heart unknowingly crying tears, longing for a sacrificial love that is more intense than normal love. The main theme, which is introduced at the beginning, is the full subject of this piece and is explored throughout the score, developing further with each recurrence. The ending is the heart finally bursting, as if it’s reaching out to the abyss, trying to take hold of that desire, to not only be loved, but to love, and to do so devoutly and strongly.
Just how Elgar devised a hidden theme in his Enigma Variation, I have also hidden a theme inside the music. Though the hidden theme is not as mathematically planned as the one in the Enigma, most people won’t recognize it, very few know of it, and those who are accustomed to it will not understand it. Only a handful of friends know of its hidden theme and its meaning. And that woman, with whom my unknown heart has fallen for, may recognize it.
Instrumentation
1 Flute I 1 Horn in F II 1 Timpani
1 Flute II 1 Horn in F III Violin I
1 Oboe I 1 Horn in F IV Violin II
1 Oboe II 1 Trumpet in Bb I Viola
1 Clarinet in Bb I 1 Trumpet in Bb II Violoncello
1 Clarinet in Bb II 1 Trombone I Double Bass
1 Bassoon I 1 Trombone II
1 Bassoon II 1 Bass Trombone
1 Horn in F I 1 Tuba
——————————— PRICE: $85.00 ———————————
Purchase Here
To the woman to whom I dedicated this composition.
You might never see this letter. But in the off chance that you do, please know this. While this musical poem was not too difficult to write, I was certainly at my most vulnerable when writing it, for I do not know what will become of us when you ultimately find out the truth behind this piece. What you have done and continue to do for me is as precious as the blessings that God has gifted me. The hidden theme within the music, you will undoubtedly know. After all, its origin has become a valuable part of your life. Love is a delicate essence, a blessing from the Lord that I wish I knew how to control. It is as powerful as prayer, but it can also be easily broken or let loose. This piece, I hope, can help me understand that which I cannot seem to achieve. It is more than mere attraction, it is an echo from the heart of the world, the undeniable manifestation of sacrificial love. I can’t exactly express my feelings through words, because whenever I am with you, I can never find the right words to say. Even now I find it hard to express my true feelings. But I can express them through music, and this power, I now offer to you.
Just as Elgar’s Nimrod is associated with love for the world, my piece is also my prayer of love for the world. Because the Lord has truly blessed my world with you, my inspiration and friend. Though you may not love me the way I love you, I know that my newfound devotion and affection will never change. And I shall be faithful to you just as I am to Christ. My unknown heart sings out to you now, with the hope that one day you will hear me.
Love your unwavering friend in Christ,
Joshua Idio