Samuel PERUZZOLO - Dethronement of the Earth. part I

"The Dethronement of the Earth from Its Geometrical Pre-Eminence"
For Solo Marimba
(2009)
By Samuel Peruzzolo-Vieira (b. 1982)

Although the work has some particular characteristic as far as its compositional identity is concerned, it is the intention of the composer to correlate and symbolize musically the Copernicus's theory of Heliocentrism and its axioms.

According to some astrologists, the major parts of Copernican theory are:
1. Heavenly motions are uniform, eternal, and circular or compounded of several circles (epicycles).
2. The center of the universe is near the Sun.
3. Around the Sun, in order, are Mercury, Venus, Earth and Moon, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and the fixed stars.
4. The Earth has three motions: daily rotation, annual revolution, and annual tilting of its axis.
5. Retrograde motion of the planets is explained by the Earth's motion.
6. The distance from the Earth to the sun is small compared to the distance to the stars.
The form of the piece is a wide arch where the sun is centered at the peak of the curve and the constellations subsequent its greatness: A palindrome. Each section is associated to the representative constellation, as listed: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpius, Ophiuchus, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, and Pisces. The constellations are figured by the constant mutation of the initial chord through numerous developments, thereby pursuing its own particularity regarding density, orbits, physical structure and age. The opening chord stands for the four terrestrial planets and the main asteroid belt. They are Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. The four other planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune) are here represented by the inversions of this initial chord. The sun is represented by two elements, a constant line that permeates by its stationary regularity and its emersion of radiance into space. The Stellar Black Holes are represented by a "moving" cluster eluding its deformation of spacetime and its gravitational collapse.
The work could be described as variations on the initial chord. Some tonal/modal passages are suggested to the listener, being some developed, others, abandoned. Syntactic scales, double inflection chords and mutual interval relationships appear frequently. Also, echoes of what was played (or stimulated) can be heard throughout the composition. Often times the density is increased because of the interaction of two or more elements agglutinated vertically/horizontally. The ensuing shape is occasionally divided into several pieces or "particles" reproduced by multiple voices in many textures.
The title is extracted from the book "The History of Western Philosophy" written by Bertrand Russell (Simon&Schuster: New York, 1972 -- ISBN 0-671-20158-1. Page 526). The work is dedicated in memoriam Nicolaus Copernicus.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Samuel
• Peruzzolo
• Vieira
• Dethronement
• solo
• marimba
• contemporary
• Heliocentrism
• Commerce-Texas

[devonmuse]

Brilliant piece. Very captivating.

Thoroughly enjoyed every 7.14 minutes.