AUGUST

November 14, 2024

AUGUST

"so hot that August comes on not like a month but like an affliction;" — Joan Didion (Slouching Towards Bethlehem: Essays)

Hello Everybody!

GENTLE GIANT

From my piano room, I am looking out the window, contemplating the tree outside my front yard, the sunlight showers with intense heat, the leaves of the tree. The temperature outside, registers an outstanding 104 F degrees. I stared in awe at this gentle giant that provides shade to my house.

It is about three in the afternoon, I know the temperature will continue rise, slowly, perhaps another degree or two, it will remain above the three digits at least till sunset. At this time of year, I'm counting the days up to the time of Autumn, looking and hoping for some heat relief. The summer has gone way to long.

Intense heat can be quiet an experience; everything seems to move slower, I also think, people are more willing to have unhurried conversations, even cars outside, give the impression to move silently, tip-toeing, as if there are floating in air. Nature awaits quietly, until the temperature drops, to get on with the day.

OMBRA MAI FU

Speaking about nature, music composers from all over the world had turned to it, seeking profound inspiration for their compositions. The most famous example is Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. It is obviously, not the only one. Handel’s Ombra mai fu is one of the most beautiful arias ever written, the lyrics are an ode to an oriental plane, which is a large tree that can grow up to eighty feet tall. In the Fall, its deep green leaves change to red, amber, and yellow.

Frondi tenere e belle

del mio platano amato

per voi risplenda il fato.

Tuoni, lampi, e procelle

non v'oltraggino mai la cara pace,

né giunga a profanarvi austro rapace.

Ombra mai fu

di vegetabile,

cara ed amabile,

soave più

GETTING INSPIRED

At the end of the day, inspiration can be found virtually anywhere. There are songs inspired by true crime, real names, books, animals and even fictional characters, and of course love and hatred. All these are good examples. The subjects, of which, composers get inspiration, are endless.

I've said it before: Music itself is not right or wrong, music is music, it is only pleasant or unpleasant, and composers allow themselves, once in a while, to break the rules, even if it is just to accommodated their desires, or to feed their egos, whichever is more important. What's important to mention here is the use of music inspired by an idea or a feeling; a lot of times, music is just a celebration, and composers dedicate their work to acknowledge that.

The composition August, taken from the Notebook All Year Round Music, is precisely that, more of a dedication than an inspiration. A dedication to nature, to the here and now, to the physical world. When I was looking at the tree outside my window, I reflected upon nature and what it means to me.

OUT OF THIS WORLD

There is always something new to discover about nature, there is no doubt about it, and while biologist studied the details of how nature works, and how we benefit from it, musicians take a more romantic stand and use music to reveal their intentions, but it is far from the general aspect of manifesting how nature works.

The ever green tree outside my window in a hot August afternoon, shows its power and complete splendor, resisting inhumane temperatures. Its evident beauty is unchanged by all the elements. I invite you to listen to my music composition, think about the biggest tree you've ever seen, think about the peace that giant transmits, along with the obvious benefits. If you pay closed attention, it would surprise you to know how trees really are out of this world.

Thank you for reading!

MUSIC Information: