M E N D E L E E V: F O R O R C H E S T R A
Mendeleev celebrates chemist Dmitri Mendeleev's theories relating to the modern periodic table of elements. The composition is for full symphony orchestra and based upon the ideas of Mendeleev: A Study.
Ella composed the piece to mark the 150 year anniversary of the Russian scientist's revolutionary discovery. I intended for Mendeleev to remind audiences of this overlooked discovery, which is integral to the world we live in. It is said that Mendeleev first realised his method for categorising the elements through a dream. The music carries the listener through this dream like state, predominantly through the use of ambiguous harmony, soft timbres and extended techniques. As the dream progresses, themes are introduced, each one of these musical gestures reflects the properties of a specific element. Gradually the dream state becomes more frantic and the elemental themes start to fuse together. The themes have been labelled within the score with the element's corresponding chemical symbol. Ella used the modern periodic table of elements as a compositional tool, by looking for interesting patterns, elemental properties and atomic structures that could shape the music.