Metamorphic Variations by Arthur Bliss was used as the starting point for this set of variations.The title however is purely a play on words, no metaphors were involved.* Bliss has fourteen variations, I prefer the number fifteen. Variations 1-7 and 9-15 are not 'based' on the music, but are derived from it indirectly. Way back in the late 70s or early 80s I purchased a magnificent Supraphon recording of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. It was priced at 99pence or one pound, that is to say it was a 'remaindered' item. I purchased it on the 'off-chance' and was 'blown away' by its quality. Thereafter on occasion I would on a whim purchase other remaindered recordings of Classical music, none quite as exceptionally powerful as the Supraphon LP, indeed over the years the remaindered get only the odd play. December 2020 I sit down with a mug of coffee, switch on the TV and flick through the channels to see if there is anything interesting on while I have my drink. I happen on the end of a documentary, there is mention of Butterworth's Banks of Green Willow and his settings of Housman. I think 'I've got both of those, I think...' and go and look, and indeed I have. The disc with the Housman was one of the remaindered, and it occurred to me that it would be an interesting change to take down all the seldom listened to remaindered and spend the day playing through them. The discs are in alphabetical order and the first remaindered was Arthur Bliss' Colour Symphony, the CD also has Metamorphic Variations - immediately I was visited by the conceit of doing a set of variations myself (in all probability I was thinking of Variation 18 of Rachmaninov's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini). As I listened to the Variations I wrote down brief, immediate impressions, for example '05 as 04 but more convoluted, vaguer, heading towards violet & half-tones, some dangling fragmentations sharp edged & dark' or '12 An echo of the end of 11, ie a curly start, but louder and clear edged - starts yellow/gold, later red 'shadow' shapes above and below' (No12 relates to No13 of my variations). Over the next few days I worked on the conceits without listening to the music again, but using the notes to prompt visual ideas. As such there was no attempt to link the visuals with the music - the 15 conceits are neither commentaries nor illustrations. *Legal notice No metaphors were harmed or maltreated in any way during the production of these variations, nor indeed were any metaphors employed in any capacity during the creation of these variations. Further, no mental emanations, whether metaphysical, metamorphical or metaphorical, of any kind, whether benign, malign or neutral, nutria† or neutered were directed intentionally or unintentionally at any metaphor living or dead of any known or unknown persuasion, dietary habit, location, astrological sign, hair colour, howl volume, length of step, hat size, frequency of belching, infrequency of bathing, addiction to nictitating as a form of competitive sport, voting record, or the breeding of free-range herds of halitosis ...... And let THAT be a lesson to you all! †Nutria - see Ken Nordine 'Colors' |
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