I’ve been a huge fan of Salvador Dalí for years and his work has influenced my compositions, specifically two of the movements of Five Images.
- The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory (5:19, 7.3 MB) — In an earlier piece, Winter Octet, I had based the opening movement on the famous Salvador Dali work, The Persistence of Memory, known for its ant-infested melting clocks. For Five Images, Dali’s painted sequel, The Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory, literally became the emotional sequel for the music. The crash of TWA Flight 800 and the Olympic Park bombing directly affected the composition of this movement. The emotional roots of Five Images come to the forefront in the form of the solo cello.
- Shades of Night Descending (5:01, 6.9 MB) — The fourth movement comes from another desolate painting by Dali, Shades of Night Descending. The quasi-passacaglia motion in this movement allows the continuation of the melodic outpouring of the third movement. However, any optimism that might have remained is lost in the corruption of the dark corners of the Dali painting.
So, happy birthday Salvador. Dig the mustache. You can see a collection of his works at VirtualDali.com.