7. Andromeda（Andromeda）

 Andromeda

Andromeda

Strength - Thunder, Rainbow

M31: The Andromeda Galaxy 

　There are galaxies visible to the naked eye. These include the Andromeda Galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud, and the Small Magellanic Cloud, which can be seen from the Southern Hemisphere. People with excellent vision can also see the Triangulum Galaxy (M33). I have seen the Andromeda Galaxy with the naked eye. However, it is quite small, so even if you find it, you quickly lose sight of it again. The image above is the Andromeda Galaxy as seen on September 9, 2019. It’s best to view it through an enlarged image. Even then, "beautiful" is not enough to describe it. There are many images of the Andromeda Galaxy, so let’s upload another one for good measure.

M31: The Andromeda Galaxy 

　Hohei Nojiri described it as "like a great elliptical vortex formed by a blizzard's fierce whirlwind." This bluish image indeed evokes that feeling. 

　The Andromeda Galaxy is said to be a neighbor of our Milky Way Galaxy, but even as a neighbor, it is 2.5 million light-years away from Earth. If there were a structure similar to our solar system in the spiral arms of this galaxy, there might be life. I believe that extraterrestrial life exists, but it doesn't matter if we never discover it. Like the ancient people who imagined gods creating the heavens and the Earth, the act of imagining is what is truly wonderful.

　In the constellation map of Andromeda noted by Sisask in the first edition of his score, besides the Andromeda Galaxy, there are two more objects: the open cluster NGC 752 and the planetary nebula NGC 7662. The latter was found in NASA images.

the Blue Snowball Nebula（NGC7662）

　The planetary nebula NGC 7662 is known as the "Blue Snowball Nebula." Gas is being emitted from its center.

Sisask’s image for Andromeda is “Strength – Thunder, Rainbow.”

In the Edition 49 score, the English translation of “jõud” is given as Power, but I believe Strength is a more accurate translation of the Estonian word jõud. Strength conveys the sense of natural power and endurance. I also considered Force, but that word tends to imply a physical or even violent pressure or impact. Therefore, I prefer Strength.

It’s easy to understand why Sisask used thunder as a concrete image of “power,” but what makes this especially intriguing is the addition of the rainbow. To Sisask, the rainbow likely represents not only a natural phenomenon of light refraction and reflection, but also the spectrum of light itself. Even just looking at the images presented here, one can be amazed by the richness of light and color. The phenomenon of lightning, too, reveals great depth when studied further.

  What about the musical atmosphere of Sisask's Andromeda?

  There is no image of Princess Andromeda from Greek mythology, making it clear that Sisask is not bound by the name of the constellation when composing his music. The first page evokes a world of darkness, with almost no light. Even though nothing is visible, there is a terrifying sense of the presence of something enormous, which is conveyed through the music. Gradually, sounds reminiscent of thunder begin to be heard, and on the second page, the volume peaks. After that, a force seems to swell up as if something is being created, swelling into an explosive sound reminiscent of the birth of a new star. Before you realize it, you are thrown into the source of the rainbow's light, standing in awe before a sight you've never seen before. The repeated notes that seem to represent the expansion of space, along with the long, drawn-out fade at the end, suggest that this vision is boundless and eternal.