Story Behind The Song

Pathos came to me as a finished composition in the midst of the unexpected dissolution of my family. I lived in Manhattan on 58th street at the time and while walking 4 blocks the sadness became sounds and music that became this piece. As soon as I got to my apartment I began writing out the flute opening and conceived it as a journey of humans from the very primitive (symbolized by the flute) to the very modern (the synthesizer represents the contemporary). Symbolizing that these emotions are universal for humans and go way back. Given the drama of my adolescent imagination, the single snare beats at the very end were about a march to death.

Song Description

Haunting instrumental/ Pathos sustains a sadness that builds in a crescendo to a conclusion that is both hopeful and tragic. A solo flute - ancient, shakuhachi like, starts the piece. The piano next takes the main theme and the 2nd more hopeful theme. Full strings and percussion accompany the pianos reiteration of the main theme. The tone here is ideal for a dark psychological film. The flute returns to take the brighter calmer 2nd theme and then the along climax leads us back to the main theme. This time against a counterpoint theme in the piano. A steady beat drum heralds in the tragic and doomed feeling that melts over the score with synthesizer effects and sounds to end.