Afterimages (Powidoki) by Marek PASIECZNY
Sonata for marimba solo
I. Blurred II. Gossamer III. Ragged IV. Zesty
„When we look at an object, its reflection is formed in our eye. The moment we stop looking at it and shift our gaze elsewhere, a afterimage of the object remains, a trace of the object, with the same shape but an opposite coloration. The afterimage, afterimages, are the color of the interior of the eye that has looked at a certain object. Because a person truly sees only what they make themselves aware of.”
Władysław Strzemiński (1893-1952), Polish painter, art theorist, publicist, educator.
Definition
The above quote is a simple, very painterly, almost poetic, and for me, incredibly inspiring definition of a phenomenon called an afterimage. But what is an afterimage from a scientific perspective?
An afterimage is a physiological phenomenon where an image persists in the visual system after the exposure to light stimuli has ceased. It results from changes in the activity of retinal photoreceptors, particularly the cones, which become adapted due to prolonged stimulation. This leads to the appearance of a complementary image in the form of a negative or positive afterimage. This phenomenon is the result of the exhaustion of the photoreceptors’ sensitivity to certain wavelengths of light, followed by their recovery.
For many years, intrigued by this phenomenon, I wanted to transfer its aspect (image, vision) into the world of music and sound.
„Because a person will truly only see what they are aware of” (W. Strzemiński) – moving further, not just what we see, but also what we hear.
How we perceive and experience the world is extremely subjective. Looking at the same object in space or listening to the same piece of music, each of us will perceive, experience, and interpret it completely differently. Our emotions, life experiences, act as a unique filter through which we first process objective (created by someone else) visual or auditory stimuli, which are then transformed by us and remain within us as an 'afterimage’.
Form
Afterimages is written in a loose sonata form. On one hand, it is a monolithic, one-movement sonata, where traditional divisions into distinct sections are blurred, and the form is more flexible. On the other hand, the component sections still exist, interpenetrating and interacting with each other.
Each of the titles of the four main subsections represents my impulsive and subjective perception of the respective part. These are not balanced, composer’s characterizations of the section, but rather my personal „afterimages” — quick, intuitive „glimpses” of the section, which I describe with a single word that feels closest to me. These are Blurred, Gossamer, Ragged, and Zesty.
Afterimage and Music
The element of the „afterimage” is also reflected in the compositional material. Fragments and harmonic-rhythmic structures that appear in one section often return in a form of reminiscence, serving as a kind of „afterimage” of themselves in adjacent sections.
Another aspect of the afterimage phenomenon in this sonata is the constant, yet consistent and very fluid transition between slow, open, ethereal fragments and faster, energy-charged ones. This represents my musical (auditory) stimulation of alternating complementary images, in the form of both negative and positive afterimages.
Afterimage as opposed to the Marimba Idiom
I am a composer, but not a percussionist. My perception and experience of the marimba are my very subjective, personal, and, of course, musical „afterimages.”
I wanted to capture the essence of the marimba in as varied and colorful a way as possible (in terms of timbre), almost like a painter’s palette. This is why I used the bow in „Blurred” or light preparations in „Zesty,” as well as changing mallets during the performance of „Afterimages.” But that’s not all – the melodic aspect of the marimba, in the form of a winding monophony, constantly intertwines with the harmonic aspect, where four-note chords appear.
The style of „Afterimages” is intentionally undefined. I wanted to show different faces of the marimba – my various perspectives (afterimages) on this instrument. „Blurred” is impressionistic, „Gossamer” – post-romantic, „Ragged” – post-minimalistic, and „Zesty” – distinctly jazz and swinging in its character. For me, it’s a very positive, bright, and energetic sonata, bursting with colors and ideas.
„Afterimages” was written as a commission from the University of Texas at Austin and is dedicated to my friend, the distinguished percussionist and educator, Thomas Burritt.
Marek Pasieczny
Dodaj komentarz