• • Symphonic poem in two movements for wind orchestra (flutes 1 and 2, 1 piccolo flute, oboe 1 and 2, clarinets 1, 2 and 3, bass clarinet, bassoon 1 and 2, 1 sop sax, 1 alto sax, 1 tenor sax, 1 baritone sax, 4 trumpets, 4 horns, 2 euphoniums, 3 tenor trombones, 1 bass trombone, 2 tubas, timpani + gong, 4 percussionists [glockenspiel + suspended and crash cymbal + tenor drum/ triangle + xylophone + snare and bass drum/ vibraphone + suspended cymbal + chimes/ marimba], string bass)

• Duration: 19'
• 2 !sadness JOY!
• Composed in 2023
• First performance: 26.11.23 The Singapore Wind Symphony conducted by Joost Christian Flach SOTA Concert Hall
• ISMN 979-0-9016549-8-3
• Parts: To rent the parts, please email <rc@robertcasteels.com>
• Downloadable scores for inspection:
  Diptych_-_Full_Score.pdf

A diptych is a painting or an ancient writing tablet consisting of two panels which may be closed. Diptych opus 137B for enlarged wind orchestra consists of two interrelated movements, in that the 1^st movement entitled !sadness contains all the compositional ideas of the 2^nd movement entitled JOY!. The position of the exclamation marks refers to the palindromic links between the movements. Sadness is expressed by moderate and slow tempos, by a journey of minor chords in low register, by descending and static melodies. The structure of JOY! is fan-shaped, that is, ideas unfold one after the other until a mid-point after which they reappear in the reverse order. The subject matter of JOY! is joy, the joy to create, the joy to feel alive, the joy to make music and the joy to share joy with an audience. Joy is expressed by energetic fast tempos, by extrovert brass fanfares, by lyrical ascending and cute lighthearted melodies, by woodwinds arpeggios merrily flying up and down, by brilliant cymbal heralding the cheerful conclusion. Convexity and concavity of the same thoughts expressing opposite but linked moods like a musical diptych.