Have you ever wondered what music sounds like when it is inspired by stories? Stories that make you feel, think, and imagine? Stories that take you to different places and times? Stories that are full of magic, mystery, and tragedy? If you have, then you might want to listen to Kevin Ure’s Soliloquy album. Kevin Ure is a composer and musician from Las Vegas, who creates music that is diverse and expressive. His Soliloquy album is a collection of meditation pieces that explore the darker aspects of human emotions. Some of these pieces are based on literary works, such as La Llorona, Queen Mab, and The Garden Tower. In this article, we will discover how Ure uses musical elements such as melody, harmony, rhythms, and textures to tell the stories behind these works.

One of the most popular and tragic folk tales in Mexican culture is that of La Llorona, the weeping woman who drowned her children and herself in a river after being abandoned by her lover. Her ghostly cries can still be heard near the water, mourning her loss and seeking her children. Kevin Ure captures the essence of this story in his haunting piece for solo piano, La Llorona, which is part of his Soliloquy album. The piece uses musical elements such as dissonance, chromaticism, and dynamics to convey the emotions of sorrow, anger, and madness that torment La Llorona.

A haunting piece for solo piano that depicts a Mexican folk tale of a woman who drowns her children and herself in a river after being betrayed by her lover. The piece uses dissonant harmonies, chromatic melodies, and dramatic dynamics to create a sense of sorrow, anger, and madness. The piece is part of Ure’s Soliloquy album.

The piece begins with a light melody that sets the mood for the tragedy. The piano then plays a descending chromatic motif representing the woman's tears and lament. The motif is repeated and varied throughout the piece, sometimes in different registers, sometimes with different accompaniments, and sometimes with different articulations. The piece gradually builds up in intensity and volume, reaching a climactic point where the piano plays loud and fast chords that mimic the sound of the river. The piece then abruptly ends with a high tessitura that fades away, symbolizing the woman's death and ghostly presence.

In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio delivers a famous speech about Queen Mab, the fairy queen who visits people in their dreams and influences their fantasies. She is described as a tiny and beautiful creature who rides in a chariot made of an empty hazelnut and drives over people’s noses as they sleep. Kevin Ure depicts this whimsical and magical character in his lyrical piece for flute and piano, Queen Mab, which is part of his Soliloquy album. The piece uses musical elements such as lightness, gracefulness, and playfulness to evoke a sense of wonder, mischief, and imagination that Queen Mab inspires.

A lyrical piece for flute and piano that portrays a fairy queen from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The piece uses light and airy textures, graceful melodies, and playful rhythms to evoke a sense of magic, wonder, and mischief. 

The piece begins with a soft, delicate piano introduction that creates a dreamy atmosphere. The flute then enters with a melodic theme that is based on the rhythm of Queen Mab's speech in the play. The theme is expressive and flexible, changing in tempo and dynamics according to the mood of the words. The flute and piano conversationally interact with each other, sometimes echoing, sometimes contrasting, sometimes harmonizing. The piece has several sections exploring different aspects of Queen Mab's character and realm, such as her beauty, power, mischief, and influence on dreams. The piece ends with a gentle coda that returns to the original theme and fades away.

One of the most iconic and notorious landmarks in London is the Tower of London, a historic castle that has served as a royal palace, a prison, a fortress, and a museum. Among its many buildings is the Bloody Tower, which was originally known as the Garden Tower. It was here that many prisoners and executions took place, such as the murder of the Princes in the Tower, the imprisonment of Sir Walter Raleigh, and the martyrdom of Protestant reformers. Kevin Ure reflects on the history and stories of this tower in his beautiful piece for violin and piano, The Garden Tower, which is part of his Soliloquy album. The piece uses musical elements such as contrast, texture, and harmony to express the lightness and darkness that coexist in this tower.

A beautiful violin and piano piece inspired by a trip to London, where Ure visited the Bloody Tower, one of the most notorious buildings in the history of England. The piece contrasts lightness and darkness using musical elements such as melody, harmony, rhythms, and textures. The piece reflects some of the stories and events that occurred in the tower, such as the murder of the Princes in the Tower, the imprisonment of Sir Walter Raleigh, and the martyrdom of Protestant reformers. 

The piece begins with a bright, but moody violin melody that represents the beauty and majesty of the tower. The piano accompanies with mostly major chords and arpeggios used in a non-traditional manner that create a sense of harmony and stability. The piece then shifts to a darker and more somber mood as the violin plays a minor melody representing the tower's tragedy and violence. The piano accompanies with dissonant chords and syncopated rhythms that create a sense of tension and instability. The piece alternates between these two moods, reflecting the contrast between the tower's appearance and reality. The piece ends with a hopeful and optimistic melody that represents the resilience and courage of those who suffered in the tower. The piano accompanies with major chords and regular rhythms that create a sense of resolution and peace.