January 2012
1 post
Understanding
(« Detail of a poster for the International Hygiene Exhibition 1911 in Dresden » by Franz von Stuck)
« Understanding » is the third segue in the series that I have written as a means of combining earlier compositions into a conceptual piece of nearly one hour in duration.
Each of the miniature musical junctions emphasizes a particular lesson that was learned over the...
December 2011
2 posts
Angel on the Threshold
(« Holzfigur Engelchen auf Halbmond » by 4028mdk09)
you so wanted to be yourself
life had told you, « you will be saved »
but now you stand on the wire
suspicious of the road you paved
you so wanted to be so rich
that all problems you’d be rid of
life responded, « work through them first,
true wealth comes from rising above »
you so wanted to...
“Both art and spirituality have a goal, and that goal is supreme joy, supreme...”
– Sri Chinmoy
November 2011
1 post
1 tag
Vigilance
(« Lebenslauf » by Adi Holzer)
« Vigilance » is the second of a series of short segues that I have composed in order to combine already existing pieces into one larger, continuous whole.
Each of the segues highlights a quality or an ability cultivated along a difficult journey, contributing to the successful completion of the challenge.
Again, I won’t reveal the title...
August 2011
3 posts
Essay : On Desire
(« Photo of the magnetic field of two bar magnets with like poles close together » by Alexander Wilmer Duff)
In Buddhist culture, there exists the core notion of the three poisons, which are considered to be the cause of all sufferings.
In English, the poisons are generally translated as confusion, desire, and hatred, or variations of these terms.
In my experience, while confusion...
Purposefulness
(« Dance Of Fire » by SarThePhotographer)
« Purposefulness » is the first of a series of short segues that I have put together in the hopes of joining existing compositions into one continuous piece of music.
In order to preserve the surprise, I won’t disclose the details of the other compositions, nor the title of the overall resulting piece. Those of you familiar...
Procession (Juggernaut part 3 - revisited)
(« Ratha Yatra Festival in Puri, India » by James Fergusson)
The third part of « Juggernaut, » entitled « Procession, » evokes the arrival of the crushing force before it unleashes into a frenzy of steamrolling.
The title and music of this section are both inspired by the origin of the word. From Wikipedia :
The English loanword juggernaut in the sense of...
July 2011
4 posts
Integration (The Chrome Lake part 7 - revisited)
(Based on « 4D virtual 3x3x3x3 sequential move puzzle, scrambled » by SpinningSpark)
« Integration » is the seventh and final chapter of « The Chrome Lake. »
This instrumental section starts on a chaotic solo piano part which is soon backed up by the rhythm section that plays up the oddness and dissonance. The intent here is to convey the impression of having...
Steamroller (Juggernaut part 4 - revisited)
(« Wilesco D36 steamroller » by Morn)
« Steamroller » is the fourth chapter of « Juggernaut. » In the storyline of the suite, it represents the apex of pain, and the metanoia.
The instrumental is one of the most busy pieces of music that I’ve written up to now, and features a personal record for odd meters with an organ riff in 23. It is intended to hit hard and...
Introspection II (The Chrome Lake part 5)
(« Introspection II » by Christopher Stewart)
« Introspection II » is the fifth section, and second with vocals, of « The Chrome Lake. »
The chapter is an almost-but-not-identical twin to « Introspection I. » And again, the subject matter is pretty much self-explanatory.
Here are the lyrics :
I see you feel restrained, mechanized, dehumanized...
Surface (The Dam part 6 - revisited)
(« Surface Tension » by darkmatter)
In « Surface, » the sixth chapter of « The Dam, » the protagonist/narrator is gradually returning to activity after having transformed into who they feel like being. Ultimately, they reach the surface where a new existence properly begins.
In the storyline, this step marks the end of a long process of metamorphosis wherein...
June 2011
3 posts
1 tag
Introspection I (The Chrome Lake part 3)
(« Introspection » by Alberto Baumann)
« Introspection I » is the third part of « The Chrome Lake, » and its first section with vocals.
As implied by the title, the piece is about looking into oneself. More precisely, it speaks of having the courage to look at the places which have been hurt, despite the pain, for this is part of the healing process.
The...
Satori : A Momentary Flash of Enlightenment
(« Emanation of light » by Limonc)
Back in 1998, I underwent a very peculiar experience, indeed, thus far at least, a once-in-a-lifetime event, which opened many doors for me and confirmed some of the directions I had previously chosen.
In time, I came to consider this occurrence as an instance of satori, a sudden momentary flash of enlightenment if you will, the intensity of which...
Portrait : Everyday Was The Same
(« Glass of Beer and Playing Cards » by Juan Gris)
everyday was the same but she wouldn’t notice oblivious to the game that had become practice well, many times she had but she couldn’t stand it it always felt so bad better to deny it rising up as a ghost toilet, table and toast iron, shower and post conform, comply and coast first stumper of the day what to...
May 2011
9 posts
Flow (The Dam part 7)
(« Between the waves » by Ivan Aivazovsky)
The seventh chapter of « The Dam » is entitled « Flow » and presents the situation once the obstacle has been overcome, the dam has been levelled, and the test has successfully been passed.
The protagonist/narrator is now moving forward into the dream, responding to the calling of the ocean.
The lyrics are almost...
River (The Dam part 2)
(« Moonlight Night on the Volga river » by Vladimir Ivanovich Ovchinnikov)
The second part of « The Dam » is entitled « River » and expounds the original situation, before the obstacle is recognized and dealt with.
The focus of this section is the slow realization that the situation is not really satisfying, and that the chosen course of action does not seem...
Dam (The Dam part 4)
(« Painting of the Zola dam near Aix-en-Provence in France » by Paul Cézanne)
The fourth movement of « The Dam » is entitled simply « Dam. » In the storyline, this is when the obstacle is recognized and the necessity of dealing with it is accepted. The truth of the matter is finally being faced.
The lyrics are pretty much ready, so better let them tell the...
Rapids (The Dam part 3 - revisited)
(« Stromschnelle » by Gerhard Rießbeck)
In « Rapids, » the third part of « The Dam, » the protagonist/narrator is being carried from a mostly disappointing river straight into an heretofore unseen dam.
The intent behind this instrumental section is to convey a feeling of being taken ahead by an unrelenting force, and to let the listener reflect on the...
“… anytime you’re looking at what is, you’ re holding yourself...”
– Esther Hicks
On The Origin Of Flight
i remember, once, i couldn’t walk sure, i could move by myself but i couldn’t walk perhaps, i didn’t feel the need to possibly, i was happy crawling on hands and knees yet, i could see and from what i could see, others were walking obviously, they had stood up, and they were walking and i was not, but hey, i was happy crawling and then one day, i don’t remember why...
Architects Of Progress
it was a path, a road, a way forward it was not just any other day yet, in a sense, it could have been had it been the unusual sunshine the melodies of the birds or something in the air lures material she now knew empty she had chosen progress it had become possible it was a number, a goal, an ideal it was not just any other whim yet, in a sense, how could it be otherwise ? had...
Uncoiling part 1 (revisited)
(« Tobyo » from the Bakemono-Dukushi - Unknown Artist)
« Uncoiling I » was originally written in September 2002, elaborating on drafts dating back to September 2000, and was first published in 2004.
At the time the music first came about, it was as if my activities were conspiring to remind me of the composition. I had just moved into a new house, and I had planted...
April 2011
2 posts
The Winged Life (revisited)
(« The Winged Man » by Odilon Redon)
« The Winged Life » takes its name from William Blake’s poem « Eternity » :
He who binds himself to a joy Does the winged life destroy But he who kisses the joy as it flies Lives in eternity’s sunrise
This piece is a singularity as far as the poligrafic repertoire is concerned. I didn’t aim for...
Leftoverturned
(Detail from « American Quilt » by Natasha2006)
When I complete a composition there are often unused ideas left. Some of those I find actually pretty good but if I can’t see how to fit them into the piece then there’s not much choice but to discard them. For a while.
I rarely delete stuff, I archive. Once in a while I browse the archives and listen to such ideas in no particular...
October 2010
31 posts
Why « Samsara » ?
(Album Cover for « Samsara » by Christopher Stewart)
Poligraf’s first album will be entitled « Samsara » in reference to the cycle of reincarnation in Buddhist culture.
Samsara is a Sanskrit and Pali term derived from to « flow together, » « to go or pass through states, » « to wander, » and which translates as « continuous...
“Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune...”
– Emily Dickinson
Exposition (Polygraph part 1 - revisited)
(Untitled Artwork by Fred Bonneau)
« Polygraph » is intended as a portrait of human relationships turning to the sour, hinting at the necessity of constant genuineness. The composition lasts a little over 10 minutes and is composed of the following four sections :
Exposition
Confrontation
Consideration
Vindication
I have a particular fondness for that piece of music. One...
“Don’t settle for style. Succeed in substance…”
– Wynton Marsalis
Epilogue (Juggernaut part 6)
(“Steamroller” by dam)
The closing movement of « Juggernaut » is entitled, simply, « Epilogue. »
Inspired by ELP’s « Abaddon’s Bolero » from their « Trilogy » album, this instrumental piece is based on a single theme that is played in harmony by all the instrumentalists over various but similar chord progressions.
The section...
“One supreme fact which I have discovered is that it is not willpower, but...”
– Richard Wagner
Introversion & Intervention (The Chrome Lake parts...
(“introvert-study” by Robert___T)
« The Chrome Lake » is the core middle part of the « Entering The Stream » trilogy. Lasting a little over 12 minutes, the composition depicts one episode of intense soul-searching, and comprises seven sections identified as follows :
Introversion
Intervention
Introspection I
Introspectrumental I
Introspection II
...
“Dialogue, as we are choosing to use the word, is a way of exploring the roots of...”
– David Bohm
Multilethalead (Octoccata part 8)
(“Label from a bottle of O·c·t·a·T·o·n·i·c” by Christopher Stewart, using a picture of William Henry Fox Talbot by Antoine Claudet)
The eighth and final movement of « Octoccata » is entitled « Multilethalead » and starts on a ostinato-based progression that slowly morphs into a relentless string of offbeat melodies harmonized by an increasing number of voices,...
“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear.”
– Mark Twain
Marimbariation (Octoccata part 7)
(“Athletics tracks finish line” by Petey21)
« Marimbariation » takes its name from the brief passage featuring the marimba that leads this seventh movement of the « Symphony of Eights. »
Once the percussive instrument concludes its opening statement, the music returns to more traditional orchestrations as it explores a succession of quirky melodies supported...
“Men for the sake of getting a living forget to live.”
– Margot Fuller
Progigoriation (Octoccata part 6)
(“Nixie eight” by L. Marie)
How on Earth can a musical movement be named « Progigoriation » you ask ? Well, obviously, because it’s the prog rock variation of another similar movement entitled « Igorchestral » I emphatically reply. And so it is that the music of this sixth movement of « Octoccata » is closely related to that of the...
“Creativity and artistic endeavors have a mission that goes far beyond just...”
– Herbie Hancock
Reoctoverture (Octoccata part 5)
(“behind the eight ball” by eschipul)
The next segment of « Octoccata » is entitled « Reoctoverture. » Basically, this section is a reprise of the introduction, hence the name, as it restates the theme presented therein, albeit through new and generally heavier variations.
The beginning of this fifth movement is intended as a tribute to Gentle Giant as it...
“Without culture, and the relative freedom it implies, society, even when...”
– Albert Camus
“There is no need for you to leave the house. Stay at your table and listen....”
– Franz Kafka