Music Mosaic
1:54 PM
I started playing the cello in high school, after years of begging my mom to let me change instruments. Violin had its moments, but I always envied the kids in my orchestra who got to play cello. When I got my own cello, the first thing I did was play the deepest note. I got chills. The heavier, richer instrument appealed to me in ways that violin never did.
This arrangement of Cello Suite No. 1 has a constant, underlying rhythm. Fast-paced and unbroken, it is always there, even if in the background. I represented that with black lines and lettering in the images. The thin black lines are always present and continuous. They bend freely though, not restricted. The lettering also shows the main theme's uniformity, but it is paired with the flowing countermelody.
I used warm colors to show the warmth and richness of the cello. The reds, oranges, yellows, and browns are all earthy wood tones, which is what the instrument is almost entirely made from. The cello is made of warm materials and thus produces a warm sound. It is also a curved instrument, with no harsh lines. While listening, it is never cold, nor does it have straight edges.
When listening to the light, legato melodies and harmonies in this arrangement, I pictured adding a drop of paint to water. The paint is diffused, lighter in color as it spreads. It swirls out into billowing clouds, and fills its container. It extends out in a unique pattern every time, never to be replicated. The sound of the cello does the same thing. It's deep and rich, but is light and warming at the same time. The sound swells inside me and fills me with warmth.
Mimicking a watercolor technique represents how the melody grows in each phrase of the piece. Though the orderly pace of the piece is present in the sixteenth notes, the longer, bulding notes in the countermelodies aren't contained by the rigidity. I feel that these images represent both the constant pulse of the piece and the flourishing melodies and harmonies.
These artworks represent my feelings toward the instrument and the beautiful piece: warm, inviting, free. It has patterns and evenness, yet allows for growth. The images warm me, and the sound expands to fill my being.
1 comments
I think your piece was very successful. I always wanted to play cello, too, but never ended up actually doing it. I'm in love with cellos anyway. The warm colors of your piece feel very resonant, very cello-like.
ReplyDelete-Rae