Dystopian World by PETER XIFARAS is a collection of classical tracks that explore the terror of living in the modern world. By comparing our day-to-day lives with the book 1984 by George Orwell, he allows us to see our world from a new perspective. Sometimes, changes happen so slowly that they aren’t noticeable and a jolt to our perspective, like Dystopian
World, allows us to see the changes of the last few decades more clearly.
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The project opens with a languid build, introducing the listener to its themes and timbre without seeming overwhelming. I think the slower pace of the intro also provides a juxtaposition to the confidence and vigour of the rest of the song. The strings swell nicely, there is a significant team of technically skilled musicians putting this piece together. Their sound works together cohesively, showing the chemistry of the team and the unity of vision that comes through in the unified ebb and flow of the instrumentation.
The rich, high-register strings are contrasted by deep and sinister ones. They symbolise the sinister, Orwellian facets of modern life creeping into the composition, giving this section an uneasy feel.
Toward the middle of the piece, some sections feel passive and melancholic, tonal choices I did not expect from Dystopian World. It is almost like the piece is mourning the loss of freedom before it is even gone. This passivity could also be symbolic of the way people in 1984 accepted changes and allowed control to be taken away. There is often no fight and because of that, this downcast energy is reflected in the song.
There are moments of crescendo throughout the piece, symbolic of the fight against surveillance and the struggle to take back control. These two themes are key to the narrative in 1984 and relevant to our lives today. In these moments, the piece slowly builds with layers of fast strings, creating this sense of friction within the texture of the moment, combined with discordance between the notes. These aspects create tension that is then elevated by moments of silence between the crescendos.
Overall, Dystopian World is a well-thought-out and fantastically executed classical experience that beautifully tackles modern themes from a dystopian perspective.
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