Panorama

Panorama takes its inspiration from cinematic music, particularly the sweeping melodies of John Barry. The theme is simple, and designed to be memorable, while the orchestration gives the scale of a grand vista. The harmony often pivots from one chord to another, with at least one note held over from the previous chord. This gives a smooth and lush sound, in keeping with the scene the music is trying to portray.

The central episode of the piece introduces a more whimsical theme. It has a compact orchestration, giving prominence to the oboe and horn, with accompaniment from the harp and strings. A series of heavy chords follows in the brass section, which leads us forward to a broad rendition of the main theme. An ascending pattern of quintuplets makes a frequent appearance in the later sections of the composition. They give a turbulent undercurrent, while the rich harmonies and melodies play out above. The full extent of the dramatic landscape is captured in the final climaxes of the piece. However, the last bars are more subdued, suggesting that the panorama stretches on into the distance, much further than the eye can see.

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