Product Description
Heres an energetic piece with the spirit of: Ambition, Strength, Power, Triumph, A Fighter, Independence, and Tenderness. The last movement of The Etherea Suite, Idrilias Theme is an original modern piano solo that combines a driving pulse, video game-meets-pop harmonies, and a character charging through an epic adventure.
Inspired by the new adult sci-fi/fantasy fiction book Trials of the Innermost by Jonathan Fuller & Kristina Kelly, Idrilia: Warrior of the Desert captures the personality of a female protagonist. This work is great for those that enjoy video games, action and adventure movies, fast and loud music that sounds harder than it looks, and dramatic effects. For teachers, this piece is a great recital closer, is a quick study in contrasting dynamics and touches, ability to showcase different colors or moods throughout a piece, and creating a musical story based on the title and musical elements of a piece.
The movement explores musical concepts like syncopation, dynamic extremes, smooth connected passages alongside accents, broken chord inversions, 7th chords/arpeggios, and a Celtic-like ballad to contrast the intensity of [musical] action. For the player, this piece has a lot of musical textures to explore in terms of rhythm, balance of melody over accompaniment, transition phrasing, and freedom to use louds and softs to bring out the fullness of the keyboard. As inspiration for this piece, co-author Kristina Kelly describes Idrilia as a Dual daggeress with a fighting bird friend. Close to her sister and family; often disagrees with societys traditions, but her impulsiveness, penchant for blowing things up with crystals, and a secret could stand in her way for joining her familys legacy of service as Sondrine guardians.
Piano technique challenges include keeping a light but active left hand, creating musical tension with the use of the written dynamics, being musically intentional where the high point of the piece would be, mastering even arpeggios, and recognizing patterns in chord progressions and inversions. The B section provides a nice relief from the forward energy, where its purely a soaring melody over the supportive left hand. I liken it to an early European ballad, where players can imagine a singer, flute, or some distant instrument heard over battle. Just as with 2 previous movements of the Etherea Suite, Idrilias 7 note melody is based on each letter of her name.
Average Performance Time 3:35. A great technical, showy movement, that allows for varied dynamic expression, percussive rhythms, building up tension and energy balanced with lyrical sensitivity.
If you enjoyed this piece or bought it for your student(s), please leave a review! Connect with me via social media and share video performances of this piece and your experience with the music. Feedback is welcome! Thank you! Instagram: @jwupiano ; YouTube: www.youtube.com/@JwuPiano
Also available for purchase are the earlier two movements of the
Etherea Suite: I. Vayriel: Protector of the Mountains and II. Zinvar: Peacemaker of the Volcanic Rifts.
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.