There are a few glitches here and there (first time these pieces were performed live) but the performance is solid and full of vigor.

Geocentric Universe

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Entangled Universe

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Oneness

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Mishima’s Dream

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A Bao a Qu

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Mars Pentacle

With respect to this recording, Carlos Plaza comments:

This song belongs to the “Pentacle Suite” from the “Omphalos” album. It is one of our favorites pieces in our live repertoire but we had always played it substituting the flute by a synthesized sound. This is the first live recording of this piece featuring Omar Acosta on the flute.

 

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Enjoy the concert!

Download “Hades”

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Download “Amphisbaena”

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Download “Excellent Meat”

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Download “Simurgh”

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The “Cosmology” suite is an ambitious work based on a musical representation of 4 different conceptions of the Cosmos:

• The Geocentric Universe (Earth as center of the universe and God as an anthropomorphic entity)
• The Mechanical Universe (the cosmos is a complex machine where parts interact with each other based on physical laws. God does not exist).
• The Entangled Universe (rather than isolated entities, we are actually all “connected”).
• Oneness (rather than “connected” we are really one. Like waves in the sea…)

Adriana Plaza was in charge of writing the Geocentric Universe, and created the following Main theme for the suite:

Cosmology Main Theme

I wrote the other three pieces.

Actually, the idea of the Cosmology suite aroused from “The Mechanical Universe”, written back in 2012, shortly after the release of the “Concerto for Piano and Electric Ensemble”. When I finished that piece, I had the idea of representing other cosmological conceptions. I presented the project to Adriana, and invited her to write The Geocentric Universe.

An obvious consequence of the fact that “The Mechanical Universe” was written before the other three, is that this is the only piece where the Cosmology theme is not present. To a certain extent it made some sense because in this conception of the Cosmos, God does not exist. However, I wanted Oneness to include elements from all the other pieces.

I didn’t want to incorporate any themes from “The Mechanical Universe” into “Oneness” because I didn’t want to contaminate this work with ideas that suggest the opposite of what oneness means. So, the way to include “The Mechanical Universe” in “Oneness”, was timbrical. I incorporated in “Oneness” 2 distinct sounds from the AniMoog synthesizer, used in “The Mechanical Universe”. Here are the 2 sounds, with melodies from Mechanical and Oneness:

Mechanical 1

Oneness 1

Mechanical 2

Oneness 2

Creating a musical representation of “The Mechanical Universe” and “The Entangled Universe” was not too difficult: in “The Mechanical Universe” the pulsating nature of the main theme, the industrial sounds, the baroque emulation of computers, etc. came out naturally. For “The Entangled Universe”, it seemed natural to use counterpoint, imitation and a dense interplay between the instruments to represent “entangledness”. However, How to express the concept of “Oneness” in music?

In order to do that, I used the following concept:

So, I took that concept and applied it to create “Oneness”. The first thing I did, was to create a piano passage where the right-hand plays exactly the same melody (representing the universal energy):

Right-hand – Universal Energy

But the left-hand moves in such a way as to create constant harmonic modulations; therefore, morphing the fixed melody into different music passages (representing the different physical manifestations of that same energy):

Left-hand – Different physical instances

Then I did the same with this simple melodic phrase:

Melodic Phrase example

Listen to all the harmonic changes done with the piano, while the guitar keeps a constant pattern:

Melodic Phrase Development

After this passage, we find the first synthesizer sound from “The Mechanical Universe” in unison (being One) with the piano:

Synth 1 in unison with piano

I had represented the concept of different manifestations of the same essence with melody and harmony. Now it was the turn to do it with rhythm. This rhythmic pattern:

Rhythmic Pattern

appears throughout the piece in different settings. Now, the interesting thing to observe is that the pattern, always played by cymbals, suddenly forms part of the guitar solo in the climax of the song.

These are the different instances where this rhythmic motive appears:

Instances of Rhythmic Pattern

There is another resource that I used to express the concept of Oneness: I created two different patterns that have the same rhythm (the Universal energy) but different harmonies (different physical instances) and put them one on top of the other.

In order for the listener to understand what I’m doing, I purposely presented the patterns separately, and then combined them. You will see that the result of combining both patterns generates a different entity where each individual component cannot be differentiated easily:

Juxtaposition of Two Different Patterns

Cosmology Theme

The Cosmology Theme appears throughout the piece and is presented, for the last time in the suite, in the climax of the piece during the guitar solo:

Cosmology Theme on Song Climax

The theme appears “disguised” using a composition resource known as “augmentation”, based on proportionately increasing the duration of the notes in a melody or theme. For those of you who can read music, here’s a perfect example by the Master J.S. Bach:

The lower voice is an augmented version of the theme presented by the upper voice.

The Cosmology Theme is based on short phrases made up of two notes each. I took this melodic structure and expanded it to create the theme used to organize the main development section. The augmented/modified theme is played by these instruments, in order:

1. Synthesizer 1
2. Electric Guitar
3. Synthesizer 2 (using the second sound of the AniMoog, taken from the Mechanical Universe)
4. Flute
5. Synthesizer 2, and other instruments join to modify the theme and take it to the end of the development section.

Development based on Augmented/Modified Cosmology Theme

The Cosmology theme also appears in the beginning of the piece:

Cosmology Piece at the Beginning

The way the piece ends, is also a representation of Oneness:

The piano chords and guitar arpeggios of the beginning are restated, this time separated by the rhythmic motive. The instruments progressively start to reduce the number of notes. Observe what the synth pad is doing: with every single strike of the cymbal, a note disappears. So the whole band progressively reduces the number of notes until, at the end, a single note is played in unison by the guitar, flute and the note left in the synth pad: Oneness

Oneness Ending

You may recall the second Kotebel Corner article that appeared in the December 2016 issue: Folkloric Rhythms in the Music of Kotebel. Well, in this piece Carlos Franco incorporated yet another type of Venezuelan rhythm. It is called “Parranda”. Here’s the rhythm in its original setting, played in Paracotos, Venezuela:

And here is the Parranda rhythm embedded seamlessly into Oneness:

Parranda Rhythm in Oneness

As I have done with previous analyses, here’s the Oneness template, exactly as I originally conceived the piece while living in Washington DC, in 2014:

Original Oneness Template

Credits

“Cosmology” written and arranged by Carlos G. Plaza Vegas. © 2014 All rights reserved.

Additional arrangements by “Kotebel”. © 2017 Carlos G. Plaza Vegas. All rights reserved.

“Oneness” performed and recorded by Kotebel on April 2017.

Parranda video:
Agrupaciòn “PARRANDA PARACOTOS.”
Paracotos, Municipio Guaicaipuro, Estado Miranda, Venezuela. Dic. 2015.
Video courtesy of: Yoleine Mateus Guerrero.

Here’s the link to the whole video: https://youtu.be/Mf-bQxq6DTg

Augmentation example taken from the site www.teoria.com

This is an updated version of an analysis that I wrote back in 2002 shortly after the release of “Mysticae Visiones”. It is more “technical” than the analyses presented in the “Classics Choice” section, but still I hope it is well within reach of every progressive music fan.

Overview

“Mysticae Visiones” is a conceptual piece. It is based in the Rosicrucian concept of the Cosmos as explained by Max Heindel in his book “Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception”.

Many metaphysical treatises are based on an essential postulate: the evolution of the soul is achieved by the experience acquired along a series of incarnations. Put simply and briefly, the soul’s existence as a human being is a cyclic alternation between material and immaterial phases. Each phase in turn, goes through a series of stages. Mysticae Visiones is a musical representation of feelings and sensations experienced along the following stages (note that they are all multiples of 7):

Birth and Childhood

Transition from the immaterial to the material phase and human existence between birth and 14 years old. Some attributes of this phase represented in Mysticae are innocence, tenderness and curiosity.

Youth

Between 14 and 28 years old. Mysticae attempts to represent the most important aspect of this stage: the ability to dream.

Manhood

Between 28 and 56 years old. The music intends to convey the drive, energy and strength which are basic attributes of this stage, where an attempt is made to construct the dreams formulated in the previous stage.

Reflection

Between 56 and death, a gradual transition is made into a more serene approach to life. As death is approached, humans are more receptive to the idea of transcendence. This feeling, many times only subjective, puts humans into reflective mode.

Death

Musical representation of the transit between phases. The ideas presented in this section are exposed again during the Epilogue: death as experienced in the immaterial phase prior to a new incarnation.

Transition

According to some metaphysical schools, this stage is driven by a feeling of uncertainty, especially in cases of sudden and unexpected material death. Attributes of this stage represented in Mysticae are: anxiety, confusion, the desperate need to run somewhere, without knowing where to…

Meditation

The initial state of confusion gives rise to a meditative stage. All previous incarnations are remembered and the last material phase is analyzed from a broader perspective.

First, Second and Third Heavens

According to Max Heindel, heaven and hell (more precisely, purgatory) do exist in a certain way. After the meditation phase, the soul re-experiences its last incarnation. In the first heaven, the only moments experienced are those where some harm was made, either to oneself or to others. It is believed that one is capable of feeling, greatly magnified, what others felt or suffered as a consequence of our actions.

On the contrary, the second heaven only deals with actions that generated a positive effect, either to oneself, or to others. Again, one is capable of experiencing (magnified) the happiness and satisfaction felt by those affected by our good actions.

The third heaven initiates the process that ends in a new incarnation. It is triggered by the soul’s desire to execute an action, or a series of actions. This desire is the result of the previous two heavens: emerges the desire to complete a project, to amend a mistake, or to taste unexplored facets of the material existence.

It is believed that evolution as humans is completed when no further desire for material action is felt in the third heaven. In that case, soul’s evolution continues through forms of existence not linked to material incarnations.

Analysis

General Characteristics

Mysticae Visiones, as well as the reincarnation process, is based on a cyclical structure. With the repeat option activated in the CD player, if fades IN and OUT were excluded it would not be possible to determine the start and end point of the work. The piece is constructed upon a number of thematic entities: melodic, harmonic and rhythmic. The most important one is a harmonic entity based on an augmented decreasing fourth interval: A – Eflat. As explained in the musical analysis of “Starless” this interval made up of three whole tones (the Tritone) is very common in progressive rock. These two notes act as building blocks that represent the binary nature of our existence as humans: material and immaterial phases, birth and death, vigil and sleep, systole and diastole, inhale and exhale, etc. We will refer to this as the Main Harmonic Entity (MHE).

All parts in this piece are joined by the use of the thematic entities, but always include independent ideas that are specific to each stage and may not be presented elsewhere. The only exception is on the Epilogue, where all ideas are subordinate to the ones presented in the Prologue and Death sections in order to preserve the cyclical nature of the piece.

A non-concrete synthesized pattern is heard at the beginning of Prologue (track 1), the end of Epilogue (track 12) (transit from immaterial to material phase) and between Death (track 6) and Transition (track 7) (transit from material to immaterial phase). The lack of form in the pattern represents the void; the absence of form and consciousness during the transition between both phases.

Prologue

From the non-concrete pattern emerge the notes A – Eflat, the basic building block of the entire piece. A series of chords based on an Eflat pedal end with the same interval in preparation for the progressive appearance of all the soloists that will intervene throughout the piece. Voice and piano appear simultaneously, and again blend in the A – Eflat interval. The acoustic guitar appearance initiates a fragment that yields to the introduction of the main melodic entity. Bass, electric guitar and drums join in this preparation and the main melodic entity (MME) is presented:

the drums introduce the main rhythmic pattern entity that will be used along the piece, especially during the Transition stage. A variation of the MME is presented by the EW5 (emulating a sax) and the electric guitar, immediately after which the MME is presented as such by the flute. After a short trill, the flute introduces the subordinate melodic entity (SME1) that will play a major role during the immaterial phase and will not be heard again until Meditation:

The cello introduces and develops the independent ideas of the Prologue. The Prologue ends with the first formal variation of the A – Eflat interval (MHE). This variation is presented again during the climax in the Third Heaven, just before the Epilogue. In order words, the same variation of the Main Harmonic Entity is used to end the Prologue and to introduce the Epilogue. This MHE variation ends with a dual flute/EW5 solo, where the MME is used. Finally, the Epilogue concludes with a short piano fragment, based on the use of a whole-tone scale.

Birth and Childhood

From the A – Eflat interval, the material phase emerges through the sound of a heartbeat. This first part of a second subordinate melodic entity (SME2) is presented. This idea is formed by eight notes; the first four suggest a question, answered by the other four notes. On this stage, only the first four notes are presented. Unlike the other melodic entities, this subordinate entity will always be presented without variations, by the piano. The rhythm of the heart is used as the rhythmic pattern in this section. The piano appears with chords that follow the heartbeat, following a similar approach to “A Passion Play” where the heartbeat is used as the rhythm of the gigue presented in the Overture.

Most of the section is based on piano and acoustic guitar. A short development section introduces a dual solo with flute and synthesizer. The section ends with a harmonic progression similar to the one that ends the Prologue, but modifying the scale so that this time it is ordinary (not whole-tone).

The heartbeat is not an effect. I recorded the heartbeat of my wife, and it is unprocessed in terms of rhythm. Note that the musical character of this section aims to portray the innocent and playful character of human beings at this early stage.

Youth

This section is strongly influenced by resources from the impressionist period. It can be considered as two miniature chamber pieces, one for piano, cello and flute and the other for voice and piano, bridged by a short symphonic intermezzo. Note that the solo piano fragment before the intermezzo, retakes the rhythmic heartbeat pattern used in the “Birth and Childhood” section.

The music creates an ethereal environment to represent the young person’s ability to develop desires hopes, projects and dreams.

Manhood

Drive and energy are represented in this section that takes most of its resources from jazz. It is based on two solos, first by the flute and then by the synthesizer, with a sort piano bridge. The flute solo is improvised. The synthesizer solo is written.

Reflection

The heart of this section is a guitar solo constructed upon the ideas presented in the previous sections. The way this solo is constructed, aims to represent the remembrances of an incarnation that is approaching its end. Explicit references are made of the Main Melodic Entity, as well as ideas from the Birth and Childhood section. The harmonic foundation of the solo, is based on the Main Harmonic Entity as shown by the bass pattern between 00:25 and 00:55.

Death

The solo in the previous section fades and the heartbeat reappears. The second subordinate melodic entity (SME2) is presented, but this time answered by the second group of four notes. The section is based on a symphonic arrangement in AB form, that is reduced as death is approached. Before reaching transition, music is reduced to a single note from a single instrument. The heartbeat, progressively loosing strength, finally stops leaving only the non-concrete synthesized pattern, representing the void. At the end of the A section, the guitar presents another subordinate melodic entity (SME3). This melodic entity, just as it is heard now before the transit from the material to the immaterial phase, will only be heard again before the transit from immaterial to material existence, during the Epilogue. Section B is based on the Main Harmonic Entity – the lower strings follow the decreasing A – Eflat interval.

Transition

This section is equivalent to the first instrumental section in “A Passion Play” where the music depicts Ronnie Pilgrim’s despair as he starts to wonder in this new strange environment.

In Mysticae Visiones, anxiety and confusion are represented by the obsessive recurrence of ideas and the use of polyrhythmic layers. The drums take the rhythmic entity presented in the Prologue and the EW5 (emulating a sax) is used as a percussive element. The first section, where guitar, flute and piano play the same tune in unison, can be regarded as a tribute to Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Times, where this resource is used in piece VI: Danse de la fureur, pour les sept trompettes.

Meditation

Anxiety fades and finally the soul is at peace with its new state. As described in the Overview, previous incarnations are remembered and the last material phase is analyzed from a broader perspective. This last human life, exposed under the light of previous incarnations, is represented in this piece by a vocal arrangement based on the use of the same voice, overdubbed. A unique voice, representing a single soul, but four parts representing previous human lives that are blended in a single experience where time and space are undefined. The vocal arrangement fades out and the soul starts preparation for its immaterial existence through the Three Heavens. The piano presents the second subordinate melodic entity, never heard again since its introduction in the Prologue, and blends it with the Main Melodic Entity. This piano exposition is followed by an EW5 solo improvisation that signals the beginning of the Three Heavens. The piano accompaniment during the solo is based on the use of SME2, which will be used extensively throughout the Three Heavens.

First Heaven

The entire section, in ABC form with a short introduction and a coda, is constructed upon ideas that aim to reflect the characteristics of this First Heaven: the soul experiences, in a greatly magnified form, all the suffering and harm caused to others during its last incarnation. This is the Rosicrucian equivalent to the Christian’s purgatory.

Multiple references to MME and SME1 are used, including rhythmic and melodic variations. Explicit references to these instances are excluded in order for the listener to find them for himself. The introduction is based on a synthesizer solo that presents a melodic entity only used in this section. This new entity is blended with SME1 and MME, giving rise to section A where guitar and drums play a leading role. The first five bars present meter changes according to the following pattern: 4/4, 5/4, 4/4, 4/4, 6/8. The rest of this section, in 4/4, ends with an abrupt change to 3/8 at the beginning of section B which begins with the melodic entity presented in the introduction. A short drum pattern divides sections B and C. The predominant feature of section C, in 6/8 tempo, is a polyrhythmic structure where bass, drums, organ, piano and synthesizer have different syncopation. It can be subdivided into two subsections, featuring a synthesizer and an organ solo. Again, an abrupt meter change to 4/4 introduces the coda, based on a variation of the Main Harmonic Entity.

Second Heaven

This second heaven, Rosicrucian’s equivalent to Christian’s Paradise, follows the process of the previous stage but this case the soul experiences, again greatly magnified, all the joy experienced by others as a result of its actions.

The main resource used in this stage is a free-form imitation (as opposed to other imitation forms like canon and fugue, which are subject to rules). The main theme from Meditation is retaken and developed in conjunction with the presentation and development of the Second Heaven’s main theme. All the solo instruments used in the piece are presented sequentially, in the following order: cello, synthesizer, electric guitar, flute, EW5 (emulating a sax), and voice. Once a solo instrument is introduced, it remains adding to the imitation scheme and contributing to the harmonic structure. The result is an increasing cycle that ends with a final section where all six soloists share the leading role. Take note of the piano chords in the four bars just before the cello presents the Second Heaven’s Main theme. They introduce a Subordinate Harmonic Entity that will be used extensively in the Second and Third Heavens (again, no explicit reference will be made in this analysis).

Third Heaven

The Third Heaven emerges from the Second Heaven with a syncopated 4/4 pattern over a running bass. The thirst for action that triggers a new incarnation is represented by a synthesizer solo, merged with a guitar solo constructed upon the melodic entities presented throughout the piece. A variation of the Second Heaven’s main theme, blended with a variation of the MME in conjunction with a variation of the MHE, from 1:01 to 1:17 yield a climax that ends with the variation of the MHE referred to in the analysis of the Prologue.

Epilogue

The Epilogue starts with the same ideas presented in the Prologue, introducing a harmonic change from 00:32 to 00:44 to blend into the Death section, but now exposed under a new light. This re-exposition of Death is initiated by the last appearance of SME2. Bear in mind that birth in a new incarnation, is preceded by some form of death in the immaterial phase. As mentioned in the Death analysis, SME3 is again presented as a unifying entity. This melodic entity is meant to be identified with the idea of death, experienced both in the material and immaterial phases. Finally, the decreasing A – Eflat interval appears in conjunction with the non-concrete synthesized pattern that fades out: again – the void.

This is a previously unreleased video with our performance of Mysticae Visiones at Gouveia Art Rock Festival in 2007:

Credits

Music written and arranged by Carlos G. Plaza Vegas. © 2002 All Rights Reserved

Omar Acosta: Flute, EW5
César García Forero: Guitars
Francisco Ochando: Cello
Carlos Plaza Vegas: Keyboards, bass, drums
Carolina Prieto: Voices

As you may know, careful observance of the structure of pieces is central to my approach to writing music (the article on issue #7 May 2017 will discuss this process). However, I wrote this piece well before the period when I devoted myself to writing only classical music (roughly from 1990 to 1999) and had still not fully developed my skills as a composer.

The positive side, is that this piece has a greater level of spontaneity if compared to most of my repertoire. The downside, is that it is less rigorous in terms of structure. Even though there is a reprise of the initial theme (at the middle and end of the piece), the song is a sort of “chasing the rabbit” where ideas flow one after the other like a kaleidoscope. Nothing wrong with this if it is a “one-off” type of endeavor, but if it is your usual way of writing, it can reflect a lack of composition skills that may affect the overall quality of your pieces. More on this in the article on issue #7 May 2017.

Ra is the ancient Egyptian god of the Sun:

In 2004, I asked my wife Nathalye to write a poem about “Ra”, inspired in this piano piece that I had written 23 years before. So, in this case, I used an opposite approach to my usual writing method: I had to fit the lyrics within an already existing piece.

This is the poem:

RA

En la tarde limpia de aleteo corto

“In the clean afternoon of brief fluttering”

 

Juega sentado a pensar en grande

“He sits and plays about thinking big”

 

Buscando la paz del minuto trágico

“Looking for the peace of the tragic minute”

 

siente los pasos de un deseo errante.

“feels the steps of an erring desire.”

 

Graba tus ritmos

“Record your rhythms”

Escucha tus horas

“Listen to your hours”

Come despacio

“Eat slowly”

alimenta a las diosas

“feed the goddesses”

 

Repite

“Repeat”

Reparte

“Deliver”

Constante

“Steady”

Contento

“Pleased”

Palpa el espacio

“Touch the space”

Respira tu aliento.

“Breathe your breath.”

 

El pensamiento avanza marcando el sol

“The thought moves forward, signalling the sun”

 

gigante que observa y reserva su voz.

“giant who observes and reserves his voice.”

 

El tiempo se agota, él desmaya sus manos

“Time runs out, he faints his hands”

 

Y atrapa en su pecho la paz del ocaso.

“And captures the sunset peace in his chest.”

 

Nathalye Engelke S.
July 2004

Translation by: Vilma L. Sánchez. 2005.

“Omphalos” is the only Kotebel album featuring 7 musicians, including flute (Omar Acosta) and Carolina Prieto (voice). I took this old piano piece, and Nathalye’s poem, and went off to the task of developing a piece for this 7 member Kotebel configuration.

I tried to give as much coherence to the piece as a whole when working on the arrangements. Much more than arrangements, I had to write a lot of melodies because most of the original piano piece consisted of harmonic and rhythmic ideas. So, even though some motifs appear throughout the piece, in essence, the structure is:

Intro – Theme A – Fantasy section 1 – Theme A – Fantasy section 2 – Theme A

Where the fantasy sections are ideas the morph into other ideas. In spite of the lack of a rigorous structure, the composition is very coherent and intense. In fact, in my opinion, the music of the last 4 verses are among the most beautiful passages that I have ever written.

This is a previously unreleased version of “Ra”. It is a totally remixed version done in 2015 and it is intended for a future release of “Omphalos” with all tracks remixed and remastered. The album will be called “Omphalos – Revisited”. There is still no release date for this album.

The original piano piece from which “Ra” emerged, is related to an earlier piece called “Chromatisms” that I wrote in 1977, when I was 18 years old. It is also a piece that features piano throughout, supported by synthesizers, bass and drums. A few years later, in 1981, I recorded this piece in a studio in Miami called Prisma. I recorded the piano part first, then played the drums on top of it, followed by the bass and finally recorded the synthesizers. I recorded the piano directly without a metronome, so it took me a while to learn all the subtleties in tempo before recording the drums and bass.

About 15 years ago, I took on the task of recovering and digitally restoring this recording. It was a challenging task because in the 90’s the master tape had some damage because it was stored in a basement that suffered from extreme humidity. However, after a lot of post-processing the result is fairly decent. This is the master tape and the control sheet:

And here’s “Chromatisms”:

Credits

“Ra” – written by Carlos G. Plaza Vegas. Arrangements by Carlos G. Plaza and Kotebel.
© 1982 and 2005. All rights reserved

Omar Acosta – Flute
Carlos Franco – Drums and percussion
César G. Forero- Guitars
Jaime Pascual Summers – Bass
Adriana Plaza Engelke – Keyboards
Carlos Plaza Vegas – Piano
Carolina prieto – Voices

Lyrics by Nathalye Engelke Santos. English translation by Vilma L. Sánchez.

Ra image by Jeff Dahl [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

“Chromatisms” – written and arranged by Carlos G. Plaza Vegas.
© 1977. All rights reserved.

Carlos Plaza Vegas – Piano, keyboards, bass, drums.

Basawan. The Flight of the Simurgh (ca. 1590):

The Simurgh carries Zal to her nest:

A man hides in an elephant skin and is carried off by a giant Simurgh:

The structure of Simurgh is nested, and describes the journey of the birds to the castle that lies in the Kaf. The initial theme gives rise to subsequent themes and developments, one inside the other. The initial theme doesn’t appear again until the end, giving the piece a cyclic nature that symbolizes what happens at the end of their journey: They are the Simurgh and the Simurgh is each of them and all of them.

The mood of the piece at the beginning of the piece reflects the idealistic aspiration of finding the Simurgh. The subsequent themes and developments clearly reflect the struggle of the birds, most of which abandon the journey. The last section retakes the initial theme but with a stronger nerve and drive. This reflects the revelation of the few birds that discover that the purpose of the trip was the trip itself.

For the examples of this analysis I will use the live version of the piece, as it appears in the double CD Live at Prog-Résiste Limited Edition.

The Structure of Simurgh is a large binary form with an intro and an interlude:

Intro-A-B-Interlude-A’

“A” has its own structure and “B” has a complex nested structure. We will leave the detailed analysis of section B for a future article.

Intro

Represents the moment when the birds discover the Simurgh’s feather. They are in awe, and try to interpret the meaning of this finding. When they decide to start their journey to the castle in the Kaf mountains, section “A” starts.

Section A

This section has the structure: a-b-a’-b’ (bridge)

“a” presents the theme and note that there is no fluid rhythmic pattern but instead a succession of beats. The birds are still gathered around the feather:

“b” symbolizes the discussion that takes place among the group. The drums are absent and the music turns into a more tranquil mood. Finally, they decide to embark on the adventure:

“a’ ” is a restatement of “a” but with a dynamic rhythmic pattern that clearly conveys the idea that the birds are on their way:

“b’ (bridge)” – This fragment is really an introduction to the long development section “B”. Theme “b” is exposed twice: first with flowing arpeggios and the same bass beats used in the introduction, then a soaring guitar solo develops theme “b” and is supported by a strong drum beat that takes you directly in to the conflict zone (section B):

Section B

Section B is a long and complex section that represents the voyage with the multitude of problems and abandonments that they experience until they finally reach the foot of the Kaf mountains. As I explained, the structure is nested and will be detailed in a future article. If you want to try to figure out the structure, here’s an outline:

a(b(c(d)c)b)

So, part B goes deeper into subsequent levels until reaching “d”, and then works its way back up by revisiting modified versions of the previous themes. Theme “a” is the only one that does not reappear.

Let’s listen to section “B”:

Interlude

The group finally reaches the foot of the Kaf mountains. They stop for a moment and meditate, wondering about the great revelation that they will receive upon meeting the Simurgh:

Section A’

Themes “a” and “b” are developed in such a way as to represent the moment when they realize that they are the Simurgh, and that the Simurgh is each of them and all of them. Finally, theme “A” is re-exposed in its original tonality; the journey has ended – they finally understand.

Theme “a” is prolonged to form a sort of coda. Let’s listen to the entire section:

This is the MIDI template of the piece exactly as I originally conceived it, before sharing it with the other band members. It is another good example that shows the importance of the contribution of the rest of the band when working the arrangements:

This is a previously unreleased Kotebel performance of Simurgh at the New Jersey ProgHouse – Roxy & Dukes, Dunellen, New Jersey – August 26, 2014.

Credits

Song written by Carlos G. Plaza Vegas. Arrangements by Carlos G. Plaza and Kotebel.

Carlos Franco: Drums and percussion
César G. Forero: Guitars
Jaime Pascual Summers: Bass
Adriana Plaza Engelke: Keyboards
Carlos G. Plaza Vegas: Piano

© 2009 Carlos G. Plaza Vegas. All rights reserved.

As we can see, Ouroboros can be seen to represent a number of things: the cyclic nature of existence, duality, infinity and, most of all, the concept that the only thing that remains constant in the universe, is change. This concept can be represented perfectly by using a form know in music as “Theme and Variations”. Under this form, a Theme is presented and undergoes a series of variations, some of which can be so elaborated, that it is hard to identify the original theme.

“Ouroboros” presents 7 variations and a coda. The form of the piece is:

Intro – Theme – Var 1 …… Var 7 – Coda

The following chart shows when each section starts (in parenthesis) followed by its duration:
Ouroboros (Theme & Variations) (C. Plaza) – 16:03

• Theme – 1:41
• Variation I (1:42) – 0:46
• Variation II (2:28) – 1:04
• Variation III (3:32) – 0:38
• Variation IV (4:10) – 1:29
• Variation V (5:39) – 0:39
• Variation VI (6:18) – 2:44
• Variation VII (9:02) – 4:10
• Coda (13:12) – 2:51

In the examples, the timing without parenthesis is with respect to the whole piece. The timing in parenthesis shows when the alluded comment happens in the audio fragment.

Theme

The theme picked for Ouroboros is built in such a way that it can be easily recognized through its different variations. The piece starts with a metric of 12/8, that is, 4 groups of 3 beats. It can be counted easily if you follow the bass. The theme stands out clearly at 0:59 after the introduction:

The theme is repeated several times, with the guitar and synth playing at an interval of a Major 3rd. Notice that on 1:20 a supporting theme appears played by a string section.

Variation #1

This first variation is based on a polyrhythmic pattern. The drums play on 4/4, the guitar and strings keep the original 12/8 metric, and the bass plays a 13/8 pattern. As a result, there is a rhythmic displacement and all parts start to gradually move their accents to different places. The guitar introduces the theme and as it introduces the variation in 1:53 (0:09), it gradually moves towards the 13/8 metric of the bass, that starts to dominate. Therefore, the final measure of this variation ends with the bass, creating a sensation of leaving things “in the air” because the variation stops in the third beat of the 12/8.

Variation #2

This variation signals the start of another complex rhythmic section. Instead of modifying the theme, this variation is based on placing the theme under a different harmonic and rhythmic context. The beginning is on a fast paced 4 beat pattern, and when the theme is presented, the band shifts back to 12/8. Notice that at the beginning of the variation, the bass presents a motif that works as a contraction of the rhythmic structure of the theme. The synth joins the bass to form an interplay with parallel high and low pitches performance of the motif.

At 2:44 (0:16) the drum introduces a highly-syncopated pattern, sitting on what is already a complex syncopated structure built by the keyboards and the bass. As explained in Folkloric Rhythms in the Music of Kotebel, the drum pattern is based on an Afro-Venezuelan rhythm called “Luango”. The supporting theme starts at 3:18 (0:50) and is expanded.

Variation #3

This is a short variation where the initial bass pattern and timpani reappear. A harmonic pedal is introduced which a changing harmony, on top of which the guitar develops a lyrical transformation that leads to the fourth variation.

Variation #4

This is a keyboards-only variation. An arpeggiator is used in conjunction with a rich string pad to provide the base on which a synth creates a melody in fantasy form. The harmony turns more obscure as the section progresses until at 5:00 (0:50) the theme appears played by the synth while a stringent guitar repeatedly plays A and B flat, contributing to increase the harmonic dissonance of the passage. Many things are happening from a harmonic point of view, but are beyond the scope of this discussion. However, you may notice that the final chord in the variation is a polytonal chord that condenses the chords used in the previous passage.

Variation #5

A variation of the theme is immediately presented by the guitar. Notice the interplay between the bass and the piano. Both are playing unrelated syncopated patterns, but the cowbell in strict 4/4 helps bind everything together. At 6:00 (0:21) the piano joins the guitar in the development of the theme in preparation for the next variation, that starts with a piano solo.

Variation #6

The piano builds several complex harmonic chords by sequentially adding notes, and then changes to an ostinato arpeggio on top of which an augmented version of the theme is presented. Notice the theme is presented at half the speed and becomes a harmonic embellishment instead of the main melody. A new melody, inspired by the theme now working as a harmonic platform, is played by the synth and starts to build a climax until at 8:06 (1:49) the synth gives way to an extended guitar solo, inspired in the main theme. A snare drum with a march pattern contributes to build the momentum, paving the way for the longest and most intense variation: variation # 7. But first, let’s listen to variation # 6:

Variation #7

This variation alone lasts over 4 minutes. In this case, instead of a variation of the theme, this is really a development of it. The theme is expanded beyond the initial motif. In a way, Variation # 7 can be seen as the development section of the previous variations because it presents and expands what transpired earlier in terms of syncopation, harmony and instrumentation. This section is one of the most intense on all of Kotebel’s discography. The section that starts at 12:09 (3:08) finally shows the theme in all its extension building the final climax of the piece. The synth retakes the original main theme for the last time, before reaching the Coda.

Coda

The Coda is not based on variations of the original theme but rather on variations of the expanded theme as presented in variation # 7. It initially states new musical ideas which gradually transform into some of the developments presented in variation # 7. For example, in 15:07 (6:05), it creates a direct flashback to the syncopated section introduced in 9:35 (0:33), when the expansion of the original theme is exposed for the first time. Approaching the end of the piece, two fragments from variation # 7 are used as a final recapitulation: at 15:19 (6:17) a modified version of the piano passage presented in 10:00 (0:58) and the closing fragment at 15:32 (6:30) based on 11:25 (2:25).

Variation # 7 and the Coda account for approximately 40% of the whole piece. Let’s listen to them:

This is the MIDI template of the piece exactly as I originally conceived it, before sharing it with the other band members. It is a good example that shows the importance of the contribution of the rest of the band when working the arrangements. In addition to the guitar solo of Variation # 6, written by César, notice the innumerable contributions, especially the radical changes introduced in Variation # 2:

This is a video of Kotebel’s performance of Ouroboros at Silver Elephant, during Kotebel’s Japan tour in the summer of 2009. There is a version of this video at a lower resolution in the Internet, but this previously unreleased version includes Variation # 3 as well as the entire Coda:

Credits

Song written by Carlos G. Plaza Vegas. Guitar solo on Variation # 6 by César G. Forero. Arrangements by Carlos G. Plaza and Kotebel.

Carlos Franco: Drums and percussion
César G. Forero: Guitars
Jaime Pascual Summers: Bass
Adriana Plaza Engelke: Keyboards
Carlos G. Plaza Vegas: Keyboards

© 2009 Carlos G. Plaza Vegas. All rights reserved.

Legal Identity

Mirrors

Legal Identity

The name of this piece comes from the fact that I used two ID numbers to build the main motif of the piece. The piece is written in straight 4/4 rhythm; the structure is:

Intro-A-B-C-A’

Intro

Given the overall length of the piece (3:43) the introduction is quite long – almost one minute. It is based on a melody that sits on five different ostinato figures that are introduced gradually: drums, synth, bass, piano and guitar. After all the ostinato layers are presented, the melody is presented. This melody introduces the main melodic line exposed by the guitar, on section A. Here’s the intro:

Section A

This is where the identity numbers are introduced:

• ID #1: 5.539.662
• ID #2: 47.540.738

separated by a short melodic phrase played by the guitar. The numbers are represented by strong beats in the pattern. ID #1:

ID #2 was trickier because it had a cero. Instead of skipping a beat, I decided to use a note far from the preceding melodic line followed by a rest, to give the impression of hitting a bump in the way:

Section B

This section presents a contrasting theme using only piano to provide the rhythmic and harmonic base, and organ with a complex solo that sounds as if it were improvised, but was written down to the very last note. Towards the end, guitar and bass provide a syncopated pulse, on top of which the organ builds a chord by adding notes progressively. This chord is sustained and gradually distorted using a Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO) to modulate it, until it becomes undistinguishable. By the way, this is not a real organ, it is a sound that I crafted using the Roland JP8080.

Section C

This section consists of a guitar solo written by César G. Forero. Notice the pattern of the piano accompaniment is based on the ones presented in sections A and B.

Section A’

This section is almost identical to A, but I call it A’ in order to highlight the fact that the piano introduces a small variation.

Here’s the complete song:

This is a very rare live version of Legal Identity, recorded in Spain in October 2007:

In the album “Ouroboros” (2009) we included an alternate version of Legal Identity. Whereas the 2003 version was a studio version where I played all keyboards, drums and bass (obviously by overdubbing), this version features the full Kotebel band and was recorded live in the studio. The main differences are in the guitar solo and in the syncopated pulses in section B where we add the drums, giving an additional thrust when compared to the original version. You may have noticed that this is the arrangement featured in the live video. Here it is:

Credits

Song written and arranged by Carlos G. Plaza. Guitar solo by César G. Forero.

Carlos G. Plaza: keyboards, bass, drums.
César G. Forero: guitar

© 2003 Carlos G. Plaza Vegas. All rights reserved.

Mirrors

This is one of the most experimental pieces that I have written. The title reflects the resource used to construct section B: it is the mirror image of section A. In other words, once you reach the final measure of section A, you create section B by reading backwards from the last to the first measure. As a way to introduce a very interesting effect and prove that indeed section B is section A backwards, when section A is presented again towards the end of the piece, you hear a piano with inverted sound. It is the recording of the piano on section B, but flipped digitally.

The piece is structured in three major blocks, each in turn with their own structure. I will label the major blocks with uppercase and their corresponding sections with lower case.

The overall structure of the major blocks is:

A-B-A’-Coda

Section A

Section A is built with three different sections and a coda (a – a’- a”- coda). The coda is based on jazz inspired chords, used to modulate to the tone of section B.

a (ends at 0:16), a’ (0:17 to 0:39), a” (0:40 to 0:58), coda (starts at 0:59). Note that there is a short piano phrase used to link sections a to a’ which is also used to link a” to the coda.

Section B

This is where the mirror image occurs. The structure is a simple aba form, where b is the mirror image of a. In order to clearly see the effect, here is the section but only with the piano part. The recapitulation of part a is done using the recording of part b, but flipped digitally.

part a (ends at 0:44), part b (0:45 to 1:38), part a (b inverted) (starts at 1:39)

Now, section B in the piece is longer because themes a and b are repeated. On theme a, the first time it is piano solo; the second introduces an electric bass. The arrangement of theme b is based on piano, electric bass, electric piano and strings. The recapitulation of a is really an a’ because the inverted piano is complemented by sound effects, a synth doubles the melody to make it clearer and the bass is replaced by a voice mellotron. Theme a’ is repeated, adding strings to the arrangement.

a (ends at 0:45), a again (with bass) (0:46 to 1:32), b (1:33 to 2:25), a’ (recap piano inverted – first time (2:26 to 3:17), a’ again (recap second time w/ strings) (starts at 3:18)

Section A’

This section features a full development of the first part of section A and uses part of the second theme to reach the coda. Let’s compare the presentation of the first theme in A and its development in A’.

Coda

The coda is based on a partial recapitulation of the first theme of section B. It breaks the phrase and ends at a point where it modulates, in order to create a feeling of suspense.

With this analysis in mind, let’s listen to the whole piece:

Credits

Song written and arranged by Carlos G. Plaza.

Carlos G. Plaza: keyboards, bass, drums.

© 2003 Carlos G. Plaza Vegas. All rights reserved.

This article presents an exploration through the music of Kotebel, from “Omphalos” to the “Concerto for Piano and Electric Ensemble”, in order to find these hidden gems….

Luango

This rhythm, together with others like “Sangueo”, are typical from the Venezuelan state of Yaracuy, and particularly in the town of Veroes. They are closely related to the festivities of St. John the Baptist, which take place – as in many other regions in the World – on the summer solstice in June 24th.

The “Luango” has several patterns; among the most important ones is the “Luango Corrío”:

The “Luango Corrío” is used in the introduction, middle and closing sections of “Ra” from the “Omphalos” album:

Ra – Introduction

Ra – Middle Section

Sangueo

There are many variants of this rhythm, played in several regions throughout Venezuela. One of this variants was also originated in Veroes, in the state of Yaracuy:

This rhythm is also used in “Ra” from the “Omphalos” album, but this time the pattern is executed directly in the drums:

The “Sangueo” is also used in the “Sun Pentacle” from the “Pentacle Suite” – “Omphalos” album:

And in “Adagio Maestoso” from the “Concerto for Piano and Electric Ensemble”:

A minute later, also within the “Adagio Maestoso”, another variant of Sangueo called “Sangueo de Cata”, from the state of Maracay, is used:

Adagio Maestoso – Sangueo de Cata

In all these cases the “Sangueo” is presented using a regular drum set instead of the original instruments.

San Millán

As is the case with the Sangueo and Luango, “San Millán” is also related to the festivities of St. John the Baptist. But this time we move to the center of Venezuela, to a state called Carabobo:

This rhythm is used in “Ouroboros” from the album “Ouroboros”:

And in “Vivo Scherzando” from the “Concerto for Piano and Electric Ensemble”:

It can be heard more clearly in the live version. This is taken from the live album “Live at Prog-Résiste”:

Bikutsi

This popular rhythm comes from Camerun. The word ‘bikutsi’ literally means ‘beat the earth’ or ‘let’s beat the earth’ (bi- indicates a plural, -kut- means ‘to beat’ and -si means ‘earth’.) The name indicates a dance that is accompanied by stomping the feet on the ground:

This rhythm is used in the live version of Mysticae Visiones, included as a bonus track in the album “Ouroboros”.

In this case the stomping is emulated with the kick drum:

Calipso

This rhythm is typical from the region of Guyana, in the south of Venezuela. It is also very popular in Trinidad Tobago and along the Caribbean cost in Central America and the Antilles. In Venezuela, this rhythm is widely used during the carnival festivities, and in particular in the city of “El Callao”, were workers from Trinidad & Tobago moved in order to work in the mines. This is the only mainland region where this rhythm is played:

This pattern is used several times in “Simurgh” from the “Ouroboros” album:

Gaita de Tambora

This Afro-Venezuelan rhythm originated in the towns located at the south of the Maracaibo Lake in the states of Zulia and Mérida, Venezuela (Bobures, Palmarito, Gibraltar , etc.). It is played in honor of St. Benito, usually between the months of December and January.

This rhythm is used as part of a complex polyrhythmic section in “Sun Pentacle”.

Appears in the beginning, middle and ending of this fragment:

It is also used in “Adagio Maestoso” from the “Concerto for Piano and Electric Ensemble”:

Chimbanguele (Golpe de Misericordia)

The Chimbanguele is also part of the musical tradition of the towns located at the south of the Maracaibo Lake, and also in honor of St. Benito. There are different patterns or “golpes”: Cantica, Chocho, Ajé, Chimbangalero Vaya, San Gorongome Vaya and Misericordia.

This is an example of “Golpe de Misericordia”:

This rhythm is used in the introduction of “The Flight of the Hippogriff Part II” included in the album “Concerto for Piano and Electric Ensemble”:

Credits

Luango Corrío

Tambores de Veroes Estado Yaracuy 24/06/12, Palmarejo, San Juan.
Published by: Reydogcafe
Link to full video: https://youtu.be/yHLjCrKjsSQ

Sangueo

Introducción a la Percusión y la cultura de las comunidades Afrovenezolanas.
Remigio “Memo” Piñate, Jhony Bueno.
Madera Presenta
Published by: MaderaPresenta
Link to full video: https://youtu.be/9fXrhMwb0pQ

Sangueo de Cata

Asociación Civil “Comacu” – Para la Conservación de las Manifestaciones Culturales Venezolanas.
Song: Pajarillo de Siete Colores
Published by: Comacu DeVenezuela
Link to full video: https://youtu.be/3sS42IuAyUk

San Millán

Introducción a la Percusión y la cultura de las comunidades Afrovenezolanas.
Remigio “Memo” Piñate, Jhony Bueno.
Madera Presenta
Published by: MaderaPresenta
Link to full video: https://youtu.be/BM0Zbv3bq-g

Bikutsi

Atna Njock & BOLBO ART – Rythme traditionnel Bikutsi du Cameroun
Published by: BolboArt
Link to full video: https://youtu.be/1NLu1k3OgDM

Calipso

Como tocar Calipso. Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela
Published by: Nestor Villar
Link to full video: https://youtu.be/JO6ZoNKW99k

Gaita de Tambora

GAITA DE TAMBORA EL 06 DE ENERO DEL 2012 EN PALMARITO EDO MERIDA
Gaita de Tambora el 6 de enero de 2012, en Palmarito Estado Mérida
Published by: tati carama basabé
Link to full video: https://youtu.be/vT22v7A-L50

Chimbanguele (Golpe de Misericordia)

Presentación de los Tambores Chimbángueles de Bobures (Edo. Zulia – Venezuela) en la Casa de la Diversidad Cultural
Ritmo: Golpe Misericordia
Año 2008
Asociación Civil “Comacu” – Para la Conservación de las Manifestaciones Culturales Venezolanas.
Published by: Comacu DeVenezuela
Link to full video: https://youtu.be/aKigGLtP5hA

– Sun Pentacle
– Mercury Pentacle
– Venus Pentacle
– Mars Pentacle

Sun Pentacle

There are several pentacles associated with the Sun. I chose this one as inspiration for the piece:

This pentacle procures realization in the form of power, glory and success in life. These characteristics are represented in the upbeat mood of the piece.

The Intro presents a rhythmic melody:

That is developed towards the end of the piece:

After the Intro, the Pentacle Suite’s main theme is presented:

As we will see later, this theme is present in Sun, Venus and Mars Pentacles.

After the development of the main theme, we reach a second part inspired by another Sun Pentacle:

This pentacle is used in ceremonies in order to facilitate levitation. It also invokes the spirits who can transport you from one place to another, in a short time.

This time the song becomes ethereal, suggesting this altered immaterial state.

The third part of the piece features a polyrhythmic section where the quest for glory seems to emerge from the previous state of spiritual exaltation and carries on into the development of the initial theme.

The different ideas and motifs of the piece all come together in the final section of the piece:

Mercury Pentacle

The mercury pentacles are associated with the attainment of psychic powers. My interpretation, is that through these pentacles, the magicians try to establish a balance between the spiritual and physical aspects of the being. Ultimately, finding a state of equilibrium and inner peace. This song is based on an ancient Sanskrit text from the Vedas, called Shanti Path. It is a mantra about reaching peace and harmony. Here’s the original text and its English translation:

Shanti Path

Asato ma sadgamaya
Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya
Mrityorma amritam gamaya
Saravesham svasti bhavatu
Saravesham shantir bhavatu
Saravesham purnam bhavatu
Saravesham mangalam bhavatu

Song of Peace (Shanti Path)

from the unreal lead me to the real
from the darkness lead me to light
from death lead me to immortality

may all beings dwell in happiness
may all beings dwell in peace
may all beings attain oneness
may all beings attain auspiciousness

may all happiness be unto the whole world

we worship the three eyed one (Shiva)
who is fragrant and who nourishes all beings
may he liberate us from death (ignorance, belief in
our transient nature) for the sake of immortality
(knowledge of our immortal nature)
even as the cucumber is severed from the vine
(that its seeds may be kept)

Ohmm the sound, the essential vibration of the
universe; shanti peace

This song carefully and slowly builds a climax, aiming to emulate the idea of transcendence through a state of inner peace.

One of the main themes, is taken from the initial melody presented in the Prologue:

First, the theme is presented by the flute:

And then, by the voice in the climax of the piece:

And a modified version of this theme:

Venus Pentacle

This pentacle is used to procure someone’s love. The arrangement of this song is quite peculiar: Piano, Flute, Cello and Mellotron. It features an extensive development of the Suite’s main theme and also the secondary theme presented in the Prologue and developed in Mercury Pentacle. Here are some interesting sections:

The Pentacle’s main theme is really a variation of the suite’s secondary theme:

This theme is developed until it is again presented this time un fugato mode between flute and cello:

That leads to the appearance of the mellotron and a second development section:

This long development section builds up slowly and, in the climax, the pentacle’s main theme is presented by the cello:

The piece concludes with yet a third development of the theme, with complex interplay between the piano, flute and cello, leading to Mars Pentacle.

Mars Pentacle

As is commonly known, Mars is the bringer of war. There are several Mars pentacles. They aim to protect against evil and help achieve victory in any kind of struggle. It is in this context – victory over struggles – that I chose the pentacle. Not its association with war.

There is also a Mars pentacle that is used as a generic pentacle that can be used for any purpose if the specific pentacles are not available:

This piece is written entirely in 7/8, in order to represent the idea of struggle.

You can easily count the 7/8 measure by following the opening line in the bass:

After this bass introduction, the pentacle’s main theme is presented and immediately developed:

On the second section of the song, the upbeat of the first part gives way to a more relaxed atmosphere, always in 7/8. The piano presents a recursive pattern that flows effortlessly throughout the section, as the flute presents different melodies, inspired in the character of the motifs presented throughout the suite:

The final section presents for the last time the pentacle’s main theme before moving on to the Epilogue:

Epilogue

The final song of the Pentacle Suite is based on a poem from Nathalye Engelke:

Epílogo

Cuerpos de sal, arena simulada
en el vacío de tu mirada vuelve a caer
la misma angustia de no saber.

Dormido en una noche de alientos perdidos
de colores breves como tu historia
me dejo rendir
sobre las perlas de mi propia sed

Y son tus manos de verde infinito
paseantes de sueños
buscar una brisa de olivo
para sembrar el temblor en mi huella
frágil apoyo de un volcán vencido

Epilogue

Salt bodies, simulated sand
in the emptiness of your look,
the same not-knowing anguish
falls again.

Slept in a night of lost breaths
of brief colours, like your story,
I let myself go
over the pearls of my own thirst.

And your hands of infinite green
Are dream strollers
looking for a breeze of olive
to sow the tremor in my trace,
fragile support of a defeated volcano.

The piece has an altered song format:

Intro-A-A’-B-A’’-C-Outro (that is Intro-Verse-Verse’-Bridge-Verse’’-Verse/Bridge-Outro)

Intro is an instrumental passage where a modified version of the verse, is presented by the flute:

The verse is based on the first paragraph of the poem. The last phrase of the vocals, is used as the first phrase of the flute melody, that starts A’ – a modified and expanded version of A.

Here’s A and A’:

This is section B (Bridge), based on the second paragraph of the poem:

A’’ is an instrumental guitar solo, based on theme A (verse):

Part C, is really a combination of verse and chorus. The first 3 lines of the last paragraph are based on the verse, the last 2 lines, on the bridge:

The Outro is also a condensed version of verse and bridge, but instrumental and backwards. First, the guitar takes the bridge theme and hands the solo over to the flute, that takes the verse melody, to finish the song:

To finish this article, here’s a rare previously unreleased video of the Pentacle Suite. It was recorded in the 2007 edition of the Gouveia Art Rock Festival, when Carolina Prieto was still a member of Kotebel. It features an audio mix that has been prepared especially for this edition of Phaedrus.

Credits

Formulario de Alta Magia (Formulaire de Haute Magie) by P.V. Piobb.
© 1980 Editorial EDAF, S.A.
Jorge Juan, 30. 28001. Madrid
http://www.edaf.net
edaf@edaf.net
All pentacle illustrations where taken from this book.

Pentacle Suite © 2006 by Carlos G. Plaza Vegas. Distribution of the Pentacle Suite video is prohibited. It is intended for exclusive use of Phaedrus subscribers.