Op. 3 – ARARAT (2026) — ca. 11′30″
Commissioned by Quintetto Pentafiati; dedicated to the Spirit of the Armenian people
Woodwind quintet · ca. 11′30″ · Six movements
Flute in C (with B footjoint), oboe, clarinet (in B♭), horn (in F), bassoon
Programme note:
Ararat is an exploration of spiritual transcendence, rooted in the profound symbolism of Armenia and its iconic Mount Ararat. For the composer, whose personal ties to Armenia run deep, the work delves into the eternal, mythical essence of the land—its spiritual gravitas—and into the universal human aspiration to connect with ancient, absolute knowledge. Armenia, in this context, is treated not merely as a geographic or cultural entity, but as a symbol of humanity’s potential to evolve toward a higher, connected, peaceful existence. Mount Ararat, sacred to Armenian memory and traditionally associated with the resting place of Noah’s Ark, becomes both a mountain of ascent and a place of re-creation: a symbol of survival after catastrophe, and of the renewed possibility of human beginning.
The musical journey is shaped by two opposing yet interwoven ideas: a descending three-note figure and an ascending figure built from repeated rising fourths. The descending figure opens the Ouverture in a more diatonic, outward, almost exultant form; from the second movement onward, however, as the music enters a more introspective chromatic world, it reveals its darker identity. Its later form—a falling augmented second followed by a falling semitone—evokes the fatal colour of the harmonic minor and bears a distinct Armenian inflection, recalling, without quotation, the modal and cadential turns of Armenian sacred chant. Through chromatic variation, the figure generates chains of falling thirds, suggesting a continuous free fall: a symbol of incarnation, loss, pain, remorse, and the necessary fall through which knowledge is acquired by experience. Against it, the ascending fourth-based idea gradually gains force: its diatonic clarity and upward impulse evoke creation, primeval life, spiritual aspiration, and the possibility of salvation. In its stable form, it also traces the visual profile of Little Ararat and Greater Ararat as seen from Armenia—a smaller rise followed by a greater one, each followed by descent. Across the six movements, this polarity is gradually rebalanced. In the final Reprise, the opening descending figure returns, but the ending is shaped around the ascending idea. The rising impulse prevails without simple triumph, leaving transcendence as aspiration rather than assertion—open, luminous, and unresolved.
While Ararat does not directly engage with the political realities of contemporary Armenia, it resonates deeply with the spirit of resistance, hope, and renewal that defines the nation’s history. In this sense, the piece is not only a tribute to the enduring spirit of a people, but a universal meditation on humanity’s capacity for transformation.
Composition: Como, 02 Feb–21 May 2026; final authorial text completed 21 May 2026
Form/structure: 6-movement cycle — I. Ouverture; II. Misterioso; III. Recitativo; IV. Tempo di Mezzo; V. Gavotta; VI. Reprise
Performing-medium series: WOODWIND QUINTET No. 1
Instrumentation:
FLUTE in C (with B footjoint), OBOE, CLARINET (in B♭), HORN (in F), BASSOON
Textual history:
– s. 1 (May 2026): digital autograph; score and parts, in transposed notation where applicable; first-published, pre-rehearsal state, issued 21 May 2026; version DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17833358, as printed in the edition colophon.
Publications:
– Casaccia, Alexandre. Ararat, Op. 3. Score and parts. Self-published edition, 21 May 2026. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17833357
Rights:
© 2026 Alexandre Casaccia. All rights reserved.
Rights administered by SACEM (work code: 112055105667). ISWC: [ISWC].
Score preview: