59,620 YEARS — A Ballet in One Scene
Score
of the week: http://www.scoreexchange.com/scores/20562.html
The
title is in reference to the fact that in 2003 the planet Mars made
its closest approach to Earth in the last 59,620 years. Aldo
Vitagliano, of the University of Naples in Italy, calculated that
Mars hasn’t had as close a brush with Earth since September 12,
57,617 B.C., when Neanderthals ruled but modern man had begun to make
inroads.
When
I was writing this piece I was envisioning in my mind short ballet to
go with the music.
The
form of the piece is a simple arch, A (slow introduction in 4/4
time), B (the "chant" section of alternating time
signatures and a slow increase in tempo), C (the central calm section
in 11/4 time, basically a passacaglia that build ups as each voice is
added then slows thins out as each voice drops out), The return of
the B section and finally the return of the A section acting as a
coda
Ballet Outline
Section A (4/4)
o
Through the void of space Mars approached ancient Earth.
Section B (Mixed Meters)
o
Fearful a Neanderthal shaman prays to the clan’s gods. o Slowly the
clan joins the shaman in praying to their gods. o The prayer becomes
a chant o The chanting breaks into a chaotic dance o The shaman start
to pray again.
Section C (11/4)
o
While the clan sleeps the red star waxes and wanes in the autumn sky.
Section B (mixed meters) (Return of)
o
The Shaman starts to pray again. o Slowly the clan joins the shaman
in praying to their gods. o The prayer becomes a chant o The chanting
breaks into a chaotic dance
Section A (4/4) (Return of) (Coda)
o
Through the void of space Mars returns.
