Vox amoris

I started composing the fantasy for violin and orchestra Vox amoris in fall 2008 and finished the score in early spring 2009. What is the message I wanted to announce? It is about the greatest power in the whole world – love. Love is, was and will be as long as we will be. I believe that solo violin and string orchestra is the best combination for a ‘love story’. 
The composition, consisting of one single movement, starts with a muted string tremolo. Then the solo violin appears – searching, asking, until it blossoms in a broad melody which is supported by a gentle orchestral accompaniment. The solo violin Cadenza I links the introductory part with the central episode. The central part of the composition is built up from two sound waves. The first wave starts softly, slowly, and then the intensity increases, becomes stronger, and then decreases. The second wave is broader, more dramatic. The solo violin part becomes more challenging; the string orchestra plays an active role here. Cadenza II emphasizes the way to culmination – the highest point is reached when the solo violin and the orchestra meet – in a high register, in the highest intensity. A quiet organ point is then the background for images from the beginning. The solo violin once again sings a cantilena of the glory of love. The piece ends in a melancholic yet light mood.

Vox amoris was created by initiative of the Australian Chamber Orchestra and its leader Richard Tognetti. I hope this work will reach the listeners making the world a little brighter and more open to love. (Pēteris Vasks, 2009)