Volans
Flying Fish
Transformations
The constellation Volans is said to have been named after the great schools of flying fish encountered by early navigators. It borders the constellations Chamaeleon, Mensa, and Carina.
In the direction of Volans, about 50 million light-years away, lies the hook-shaped galaxy NGC 2442, shown in the image above.
This is an enlarged image of the central region of NGC 2442.
Sisask’s image for Volans is “Transformations.”
In the first half of the music, the tempo quickens and slows with ritardando, while the dotted notes lend themselves easily to changes in colour. The pauses at the fermatas also allow us to feel the distance to the next note freely.
The second half begins with massive fff chords, as though a gigantic galaxy had suddenly appeared. The melody, spanning a wide register through the crossing of the hands, together with the effect of the broken chords, seems to cast rings of light farther and farther into the distance. The final harmonic resonance, produced by a special playing technique, creates a lingering effect, like colours softly bleeding into one another.
In Volans, I find myself continually captivated by these “Transformations,” as the texture and quality of the sound keep changing throughout the piece. The artistic colours and shapes of the galaxy itself, as well as its soft, diffuse appearance, may also provide ample inspiration for expressing these “Transformations.”
Comments
Post a Comment