Contemplation: Score
By Elena Roussanova Lucas
Grade: 3.5
Item: 00-PR-0001535
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Description
A beautifully fluid ballad encouraging your young band's highest musical attributes. Distinctive dissonances will bring out a most musical performance reinforcing balance, blend, and tone color. An awe inspiring sound, Contemplation has a place on every program. (2:00)
Don't just read it, hear it, play along with it, and watch your students grow with it. In MakeMusic Cloud, Contemplation: Score comes alive with professional accompaniment, adjustable tempo, and built-in practice tools that turn solo practice into real progress.
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Additional Details
Series:
Belwin Concert String Orchestra
Publisher:
Alfred Music
Page Count:
62
SKU:
00-PR-0001535
More about this title
About the Composer: Elena Roussanova Lucas
Elena Roussanova Lucas began piano studies at age three in Moscow and advanced through the prestigious Central Music School's child prodigy program. She earned her Red Diploma (Summa Cum Laude) in Composition, Music History, Music Theory, and Instrumentation from the Tchaikovsky Conservatoire, where she studied composition under Tihon Khrennikov and Tatiana Choodova. She also completed piano pedagogy training at the Ippolitov-Ivanov Music College.
A member of the United Russian Composers Union, Lucas has heard her work performed by major Russian orchestras including The Tchaikovsky State Orchestra of Moscow and ensembles from the Bolshoi Ballet. Her compositions have also been championed by international soloists and chamber groups. As a pianist, she won first prize in a Russia-wide competition sponsored by the Russian Ministry of Culture and has performed throughout Moscow, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and the United States.
Why we love this
Lucas writes with acute sensitivity to string sonority and architectural pacing. Young orchestras often struggle to sustain legit phrasing over extended lines, but the deliberate dissonances embedded in this score demand the kind of tonal focus and rhythmic restraint that transforms rehearsal priorities into genuine musicianship. The two-minute runtime is substantial enough to develop musical ideas without testing youthful patience.
What to expect
A sustained moment of introspection: unhurried, luminous, and built on carefully placed harmonic tensions that resolve into moments of calm clarity. The fluid phrasing invites players into a contemplative space where restraint and sensitivity matter more than speed or volume.
Who it's for
String orchestras at the grade 3 to 3.5 level seeking repertoire that develops mature musicianship without excessive technical demands. Directors preparing students for contest or concert performances that showcase tone quality and ensemble balance.
How to get the most out of it
- Shape the melodic lines through sustained vibrato rather than dynamic swells; let the harmonic shifts beneath carry the emotional weight.
- Balance the dissonances by listening vertically across all sections. These moments should sound intentional and rich, not accidental or harsh.
- Draw the ensemble toward the broadest possible tone in the middle register; this piece rewards depth over brilliance.
- Establish a steady internal pulse and trust it completely. Young players often rush beautiful passages in search of direction they already have.
How to use it
Position this as a centerpiece in a concert that pairs contrasting energy levels. The two-minute length makes it ideal for building a varied program or as a bridge between more extroverted works. It also serves well in festival settings where judges value refined ensemble sound and interpretive maturity.
Skills your students will build
- Sustaining long melodic lines with consistent vibrato and tone quality
- Listening to and balancing dissonant harmonic structures
- Managing ensemble blend across an entire string section
- Responding to subtle conducting gestures and phrasing intention
- Building dynamic range through harmonic color rather than volume