11 Oct The grand ball
This is the funny title of my last assignment: you might want to know its story.
I have to confess that I always start writing down a score without any specific musical idea: I usually play with some instruments until I find some interesting sequence of notes, or an interesting rhythm, or an interesting sound. It’s like to google something: you don’t always succeed. It may happen that I spend a lot of time with my headphones moving my fingers on the keyboard and then I decide that the idea doesn’t work, and throw it away – I’m not sure if it’s somehow related to inspiration. Most of the time I feel like I have to find something, and the success of the research is due to how clear is my mind about what I have to look for. I mean: if you already envision your score it’s pretty easy. It happens more often when I work with visuals: I picture instruments or even notes and chords in my mind, so it’s easier to write it down and give those ideas a direction. Sometimes I lack details, so I have to fill a huge blank space with music, and I find it incredibly difficult.
That’s exactly what happens when I have to work with haiku: they are very loose regarding details and don’t exactly tell an actual story.
Last time, though, I sat on my computer and I knew I would have liked to use strings. I was recalling this beautiful piece by Schubert, and I knew I would love to create a similar atmosphere:
I find this music very dramatic, romantic and desperate at the same time. I would have loved to begin my haiku with something as grave and profound. So I started to play a pattern with a cello; when the structure became more solid I decided to use the oboe for a main motif. Then I developed the score taking out the oboe and giving the strings more importance, creating an engaging chord progression without a specific direction.
So this is my first second-year assignment, and I will have to build a second part to reach 3 minutes time.
Now you’re probably wondering the reason for the title, aren’t you?
Every time I make music I send it to my sister so she helps me translate in images what my music suggests her. I really was in pain, because I knew I wanted a Barry Lyndon-like atmosphere, but I din’t know what happened in my “movie”! So she pictured a Viennese Renaissance ballroom with a cold and beautiful empress slowly going down a luxurious staircase, waiting to glimpse her lover. She then dances with other men in order not to be seen by the emperor, but it’s all about glances and desire with her lover.
I couldn’t be happier about my sister’s gift: she is able to see right through my music and she can pull out emotions and vibes I wouldn’t be able to create, transforming herself into a visionary director/painter/photographer.
So next time I will talk about some scene you’ll know that she’s probably involved in the process 😉