I finally synced the video of Obsidian Butterfly with the high quality audio. It was a bit too long to fit on Youtube, so I put it on Google Video. Enjoy!
I posted this video on some forums and people have asked me to talk about the piece. I’m going to try to type up some program notes for the piece as soon as I can — But I can say now that the piece was not conceived to be programmatic at all. I definitely have no problem with people finding a program in it, but as with most of my pieces I actually thought of the title once the piece was finished. I think of the title “Obsidian Butterfly” as an image to help draw listeners into the piece — it could be interpreted simply as a butterfly made of the sleek volcanic rock or as the English translation of Itzpapalotl, a grotesque female Aztec warrier goddess. Whichever you prefer :).
When Carlin and I performed this piece for her accompanying recital, she wrote some very kind program notes which I’ll share here:
When John first approached me to perform with him his new composition, Obsidian Butterfly, I was quite excited. Most new compositions lack a form or down-to-earth quality that allows the common listener to understand the content. Often, we are left with nothing to grasp onto except for the word, “interesting” or “curious.” I often feel rather discombobulated and confused after listening to most of them, but with John’s previous composition, In Search of Lost Time (for violin, viola, and voice), I distinctly remember being drawn into its world. You shall find just as I did that Obsidian Butterfly will not disappoint the expectation of gripping you from your seat.
Without even hearing the first note, Obsidian Butterfly catches the attention of the audience merely from the curious title. The title can be interpreted as the symbolic representation of the dark, rhythmical, yet sleek atmosphere or to the grotesque Aztec female war goddess. In the beginning, the piano softly lays an atmosphere of expectation with a quiet trill, before the saxophone enters. (The inspiration for the beginning comes from the Sibelius violin concerto where the orchestra begins quietly with a shimmering tremolo before the violin softly enters with a gripping melody.) The open fifths tremolo on B and F sharp (which is also the common tone modulation to a tritone away from the original key) marks the end of the introduction, and the main motif (D-Eflat-D-Eflat-F-Eflat) is announced. Another theme that appears is the “fourth + tritone.” Throughout the composition, these motifs are repeated in various rhythmical patterns and contexts. However, tension cannot be constantly drawn without becoming overbearing, so in the middle, the saxophone cadenza builds up and momentarily releases the excitement, transitioning into a piano interlude. Tension is quickly rebuilt into a frenzy, and both themes are revisited. With the “fourth + tritone” the piece climaxes with a flourish.
Although John claims that the piece took too long to write, we are all pleased nevertheless with the results of the catchy, crafty creation. It was a great and enjoyable experience working with him, so with this final sentence, I would like to thank him once more for his creation and allowing me to work with him.
