harmonies of life and death

[pianowolfi]

Two improvisations dedicated to my aunt who passed away today at the age of 93.

I can hear the harmonies from "death", from the other side, where she has gone now! I can hear "her" harmonies there! They are incredible, and 88 keys are of course not enough, and my perception is not yet enough, and I would need a totally different sort of instrument! But I can clearly hear and perceive them inside!

I mainly experience light, from there. Life is holy and death is holy as well! I think we must not neglect any of those two.

But when I sat down to play, everything turned out so differently than I had heard before, inside!

In such moments I feel like I have to let everything go and try to be like a blank page and ready to play everything, however weird or "off topic" it may sound. I just feel the need to play it, follow the motifs, develop them, listen to the harmonies and progressions...

[birba]

LIke two different sides to death.  The second one was SOOO depressing.  Can't say I really enjoyed it.  Like a funeral march down into hades.
That motif in the first one sounded just like the chiming of certain grandfather clocks-  And your touch with the pedal made it even more so.  The passage of time is eternal and unceasing for everyone.
Just curious.  Do you at least determine the motif before beginning?
And 93 is a fine age to make that passage.

[pianowolfi]

Yes it is and I know that she did that passage in harmony, and I know that she has had a life that she can be very very proud of
I heard the first motif of No. 1 in my mind, before I went to the piano. Everything else was just happening. But once the motif of No.2 had happened I tried to develop it and follow it through different spheres.

[littletune]

I like your (and your aunt's) improvisations Wolfi!  I'll have to listen to them more times! I'm sorry that your aunt had to go  , but it's cool that you can hear her! Thanks for posting Wolfi! 
Oh... was your aunt a musician too?

[pianowolfi]

I like your (and your aunt's) improvisations Wolfi!   I'll have to listen to them more times! I'm sorry that your aunt had to go   , but it's cool that you can hear her! Thanks for posting Wolfi!  
Oh... was your aunt a musician too?

my aunt has worked with handicapped children, and one of her jobs was to make music with them, it was so much her life's work to help these children that there was almost no room for any "private" life.
 I don't know if it should be called my aunt's improvisation though?? It's my reaction to her passing, I think t it's not meant like "a message from her" or something like that, of course. It comes from a state I am in on this particular day, and reflects my thoughts. What I heard inside from "there", at some tender moments today, must remain unplayed, it was not playable at all....

[littletune]

Oh... well no I didn't mean exaclty like as if your aunt composed or played the improvisation... I just meant like cause you dedicated it to her... like I say that those pieces that I composed for my mum are my mum's pieces    ... or something like that...

[pianowolfi]

Oh... well no I didn't mean exaclty like as if your aunt composed or played the improvisation... I just meant like cause you dedicated it to her... like I say that those pieces that I composed for my mum are my mum's pieces   ... or something like that...

Oh yes, of course, I see! Lol I understood it differently

[pianowolfi]

@Birba, I think yes there is often something of "Hades", in my music, when it comes to expressing my feelings about the threshold between life and death. I am searching the sonorous foundation of the bass register, I try to follow something unspeakable there, as it was in Styx, to an extreme degree.

[littletune]

Yes I know why you understood it that way, I guess it can be undestood in a lot of different ways I just wasn't really thinking about it when I wrote it... I hope you're ok Wolfi!!

[pianowolfi]

Yes I know why you understood it that way, I guess it can be undestood in a lot of different ways I just wasn't really thinking about it when I wrote it... I hope you're ok Wolfi!!

Yeah I am okay, I feel my connection to the other side on a day like this, almost like I am here and there at the same time, and it makes me something like "happysad"

[costicina]

Wolfi,
so far I've experienced death as the most atrocious, devastating event I've had to cope with, a source of absolute, frightening Angst.

Your compositions, or better your 'meditations'  about death, and life, and the way they are deeply interwoven. The emotional deepness of your music somehow had the power to 'purify' my thoughts  on death, like tears that somehow loosen and wash away the grief.

Thank you for this sort of catharsis, you have no idea how much it touched and moved me

[ted]

Firstly, my condolences on your aunt's death. It is good that you can respond to major life events with your music. I cannot. My music just happens and seems unrelated to anything. For some reason the second piece reminded me of parts of the Ives first sonata but then you create a very clever illusion of perpetual descent, rather like Shepard tones. I am not as steeped in mythology as most people but I can certainly see the associations the others have made. What intrigues me more is the musical way you use to produce that particular abstract effect, which, as I say, is rather clever.

[pianowolfi]

Wolfi,
so far I've experienced death as the most atrocious, devastating event I've had to cope with, a source of absolute, frightening Angst.

Your compositions, or better your 'meditations'  about death, and life, and the way they are deeply interwoven. The emotional deepness of your music somehow had the power to 'purify' my thoughts  on death, like tears that somehow loosen and wash away the grief.

Thank you for this sort of catharsis, you have no idea how much it touched and moved me

Hi costicina, this comment makes me very happy, it's a very important comment to me! I think it shows clearly that this music has reached it's destination I think you felt and said a lot of what it all is about

[pianowolfi]

Firstly, my condolences on your aunt's death. It is good that you can respond to major life events with your music. I cannot. My music just happens and seems unrelated to anything. For some reason the second piece reminded me of parts of the Ives first sonata but then you create a very clever illusion of perpetual descent, rather like Shepard tones. I am not as steeped in mythology as most people but I can certainly see the associations the others have made. What intrigues me more is the musical way you use to produce that particular abstract effect, which, as I say, is rather clever.

Yes I know musicians are different, some are often inspired by life events like me, others are rather "absolute" musicinas* like you and Derek. It makes me happy that both types understand each other well on this forum, it makes me think that the difference is rather secondary and the common musical interest primary

I enjoy the abstract effects as well, very much!


*that was a typo but I'll leave it there because of the melodic Italian touch

[chopinatic]

93!! Thats quite an achievement! im sorry to hear of her passing! but I love these pieces, great textures and harmonies, I really enjoy people posting truley meaningful and emotive pieces! Thanks for sharing these jems

[pianowolfi]

Hi Chopinatic, thank you for listening and commenting! One day I will be able to play all this better, I hope, all those many things I feel inside...

[Derek]

Hi pianowolfi, these are fantastic. I think of all the improvisers here you have the most, hmm, introspective sound to your music (actually maybe you andm1469compete for "most introspective" speaking of which, mayla, post an improv!  ). It's very deep and intriguing music, and atmospheric. A lot of chromatic counterpoint. I think it's really interesting how you work, over time, with themes that recur so much in your improvisations. Very different from what I'm familiar with!

[austinarg]

I love the first one. The melody sounds like someone wondering what lies beyond death...

[pianowolfi]

Hi austinarg, yeah, I'm still wondering a lot, though I often felt like I could see quasi directly beyond the border

[terexyun]

nice! both sound really good. FIrst one reminds me of one of the Final Fantasy Game themes.(Tifa's I think) Like your style in playing. and really clean and organized for an improv...I can never seem to do that, always end up going crazy

[pianowolfi]

Hi Terexyun, thank you for listening and for your comment. Going crazy isn't necessarily bad I think, and you don't need to be afraid of it. The organizing quality can appear after a while of trying out and experimenting, and brainstorming