Moment of Silence 3/13/08

[furtwaengler]

March 13, 2008

Is in two parts of about 12 minutes each, separated by the silence I thought essential enough to leave in, enough so to even derive its name.

Part 1 Very slow, brooding, unstable, volatile.
Part 2 Very fast, relentless, torrential.

This could be a cause and effect sort of thing. I like to think of it now relating to the instability of the atmosphere in the forming of violent supercell thunderstorms, such as those which dropped tornadoes on Arkansas and Tennessee in the past couple days, taking lives and ravishing the land; Part 1 being the awesome, volatile, unstable energy which makes up the ingredients of the deluge in Part 2, a deluge which arrives slowly, mars the visibility with its present, and breaks up in its passing. The end of it all is quite the commentary on the situation.

Of course this is a later interpretation, the actual event of its conception, recorded as it is, baring no such idea. It was a spontaneous release after a community orchestra concert I’d been a part of earlier that night (You can hear my black shoes tapping onto the stage). Happy was I to find the hall empty, and the Yamaha grand waiting.

Recorded with what I had...an Olympus voice recorder, and made more approachable by audacity.

Thus is born onto pianostreet my first audio upload.

[pianowolfi]

A great idea to have this silence between two dramatic and narrative excursions!Indeed, instability and an ever present menace determine the atmosphere of this piece. Though it's the first piece I hear from you I guess that it has it's very unique specific style. I'll give it more listens, now I'm listening the third time and I have the feeling that there is still much more to explore. Congratulations to a really great and interesting first contribution to the improv room!

[furtwaengler]

Thanks so much for listening and giving this some thoughtful attention, pianowolfi. I've had more than a year to consider what the recorder picked up (as much as the poor little thing was capable), and it was only after digesting the whole landscape, finding a structure emerge (based more on temperature than thematic unity), and knowing what lies around every corner that I was convinced of its worth. But, this is a process which cannot reverse into ignorance of what lies ahead, so I'm interest in these outside impressions.

BTW, I listened to some of this on a few different computer speakers, and realized there is no way for me to know what it sounds like on others' speakers. I've found though, that the downloaded file, still not ideal sound, is greatly superior to that of the ebbed player.

[m19834]

Furtwaengler,

I am listening now and have to say that I appreciate your musical thoughts and opinions as you express them here.  It seems some elements of fantasy mixed with reason.  Yes, I do love this moment of silence, with the presence it contains but also the anticipation of what lay ahead.  Despite the fact that you have said your original thoughts were not what you describe as this/these improvisation(s) reminding you of, it's difficult now for me to not picture your description as I listen.

I am in a phase now more than ever of having a bit of a difficult time wanting to comment in detail.  I am not sure, exactly, why that is, but I didn't want that to stop me from saying at least something, as I feel you deserve to know you have been heard and appreciated.

I have to admit, your sense of freedom at the piano, I can't help but want to hear more from you of whatever you feel you would like to post.  Thanks for finally deciding to post this !

[furtwaengler]

Hi Karli,

I want to thank you very much for your wonderful comments. They mean a great deal to me, especially considering your contributions here, sharing the wonderful things you've been able to accomplish in this realm.

Despite the fact that you have said your original thoughts were not what you describe as this/these improvisation(s) reminding you of, it's difficult now for me to not picture your description as I listen.

I will admit this is often the case. Because such a thing is recorded, it becomes like a seed that grows over time into something large and with little resemblance of its beginning, though the notes and events never change (but the ideas are many times a bit larger than the recorder's capabilities). It is the growth of perception of these events. Maybe this is backwards of the norm...I don't know...I wonder for example, if Wolfi's "Styx" was a musical idea grown out of the mythical river, or the the river just seemed to fit an original musical idea? With me, more times the music comes first (but I've a huge interest in powerful forces of nature, so who knows?)

Anyway, thanks for listening

[pianowolfi]

I wonder for example, if Wolfi's "Styx" was a musical idea grown out of the mythical river, or the the river just seemed to fit an original musical idea?

Neither nor. The title "Styx", as much as it fits the piece completely, was secondary. But first there was a sort of spiritual experience inspired by a (rather philosphical) conversation. This conversation led me into a general mood which was the first cause for playing the piece. This spiritual experience/general mood was actually much more profound than the title and can be only expressed through music. It felt like an earthquake inside of me This is the case with many of my pieces. I am somebody who has spiritual perceptions and who tries to express them through music because words are not enough. Karli's "Stampede" for instance is something similar and I remember that she told me she was in a similar state of inspiration when she played that piece. 

[furtwaengler]

The Malyla/ K. Stampede for those and my future reference:

https://www.pianostreet.com/smf/index.php/topic,25332.0.html

I know I've heard this in the past, and I remember reading the description. I feel the need to remember and explore. When I first discovered improvisation on this board, which was one of m1469's (I wish I could remember which one) I started downloading in bulk, those of many members, burning them to Cd's and listening at night to the minds' sounds, happy that there were others who sort of validated what I'd always done with such natural pleasure. But some of these disks were unlabeled, and some, mp3 data disks arranged as much as possible in chronological order, making it tough to know individual titles and times (but I was after the progressions of thoughts and practices of certain individuals over time, something absolutely impossible with my own bulk of unlabeled hours of recording on poor cassette recorders).

- Alright, Arnold Bax's 2nd Symphony, which I was listening to, has ended, and so I'm listening to Stampede. It is Stampede and from another thread, Journey of Karli's to which I owe response once I decide how. I'll state simply now that Stampede is way up my ally -

Wolfi, to you...I admit to never being one for philosophy. I am very interested, however, in how you would define spiritual perceptions...and what would be the opposite of spiritual perceptions?

 

[pianowolfi]

Wolfi, to you...I admit to never being one for philosophy. I am very interested, however, in how you would define spiritual perceptions...and what would be the opposite of spiritual perceptions?

I think I'm using this term just for lack of a better one. It's not the opposite of anything, it's rather an enhancement of perception per se, and it's not philosophical (though I am also philosophically interested), it's life experience. An experience which I had no name for when I first encountered it, more precisely it encountered me along my path and first it was quite overwhelming. Then I searched for a philosophical or other explanation, for a ground to put my feet on. Or even, I searched this ground before I ever encountered this sort of spiritual perception because I knew deep in myself that I would encounter it later in my life. Difficult, I know and perhaps I'm writing not clearly yet...

But.. to see the "invisible", to hear the "inaudible"... there are no limits to knowledge, it's only a matter of time and some temporary limits of the individual.