Inferno IV: Moderato

I'm attempting to build out the cycle of Inferno, modeling images to text from the first several Canto's of Dante's Inferno. When I originally wrote this particular movement a few months ago, it didn't not belong to any cycles and so I, by default, grouped it with the nocturnes. I was attempting to express some of the darker images I have of man's existence when writing the piece, and so feel comfortable adjusting the work and now including it with some of the other works from my Inferno cycle. I was obviously influenced by the composer I quote in bars 92-95, and don't necessarily cherish the proposed answer (?) provided here.

Regarding the composition, I worked on two concepts for the piece. One concept was to maintain two seperate tonal centers with associated seperate meters that eventually converge. Another idea was to develop a modified triadic progression maintained in minor until a cadence. I realize I push the horns, but am interested in that strained sound, and believe it will work.

Inferno IV: Moderato
Inferno IV score

Divine Comedy
Inferno, Canto IV, 1:12
Copyright © Princeton Dante Project

A heavy thunderclap broke my deep sleep
so that I started up like one
shaken awake by force.

With rested eyes, I stood
and looked about me, then fixed my gaze
to make out where I was.

I found myself upon the brink
of an abyss of suffering
filled with the roar of endless woe.

It was full of vapor, dark and deep.
Straining my eyes toward the bottom,
I could see nothing.