Asterisk Piano Podcast (PJ Cornell‪)‬ PJ Cornell

"Doverie," or "доверие," means "trust" in Russian. It is an improvisation for keyboard and guitar. The bass line sounds like an acoustic bass, but it is actually also my acoustic guitar. The form would best be described as an elegie. When I improvise, this is frequently the form that emerges unless I am intentional about how I think about the form before I begin. Stylistically, this piece could be described primarily as impressionistic with some Americana elements.

This song is about the vulnerability you experience when you extend faith to another human being. People will fail you. When you trust in the Father, you are able to extend faith to them as an extension of that, realizing that, when they fail, you must be prepared to show mercy.

This is the first piece I created with my new keyboard setup. It was time to retire my previous one. Hopefully my new keyboard will serve me well.

The image chosen is in the public domain. It is a photograph by Maysam Yabandeh.

https://pixnio.com/media/exploration-expedition-mountain-top-snow#

Horus (Sonata for Keyboard) - in g# minor
This episode of Friday Music at Five features "The Proud Bird," by Romansk V. This is a depiction of the ancient Egyptian god of Horus. What grabbed my attention in this piece is the artist's choice to reimagine the ancient two-dimensional Egyptian images and render it in three dimensions with very interesting color choices for the shading. I also like the extreme colorfulness of the god and the proud, confident, intelligent expression on its face. The background is vague and dark, while the bird is colorful and highly distinct. The curve and sharpness of the beak, the haughty look in the bird's eye, the musculature of the face; all of these things suggest a masculine vitality, power, and fearlessness.



The Egyptian Renassaince
It has occurred to me that we may be on the verge of a renaissance of rediscovering the deep roots of the Abrahamic religions, which really do go back as far as Egypt; and even further, into the days of Hammurabi and Sumer. However, Egypt particularly is where many of the archetypical stories that are cherished by the Jews, Christians, and Muslims originate. It is also interesting that, according to legend, in the times of the sons of Noah, Egypt was the seat of authority for Shem; from which he exercised God's justice on Earth.

This is important because the Post-Modern Structuralist intellectual narrative has begun to unravel. People are seeking a new way of developing a relationship with being. Consequently, one of the most popular intellectuals of our time is Dr. Jordan Peterson, whose Biblical Lecture Series represents a deep dive into the intellectual roots of the Western Tradition and morality. Part of what led to the rejection and death of God in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries was an ossified understanding of this tradition.



The Christ Story of Horus
What better symbol for this rebirth of the Western Tradition than that of Horus, the ancient Egyptian christ figure. According to ancient Egyptian tradition, Osiris is murdered by his brother Set. Osiris's wife, however, reassembles the corpse of Osiris, engages in intercourse with it, and gives birth to Horus. Horus is regarded as the resurrected form of Osiris.

Horus, therefore, represents the divine masculine; that which overcomes death and destruction.



Some Notes on Horus (Sonata for Keyboard) - in g# minor
This piece expresses a major philosophical theme. That is, the backdrop to life is struggle and hardship. Death always lies in wait for us. However, we can overcome this. We are not linear creatures. We are creatures of light. Death, darkness, and hardship exist in order that the heroism of our being can shine against it like eternal stars in the night sky.

The harmonic trajectory of the piece is rising dominant-tonic resolutions. The first movement is in g# minor, which is a tumultuous key, to my ear. The second movement is in c# minor, which is the darkest key, to my ear. The final movement is in f# minor, which has a spiritual energeticness.



First Movement - Vivace
This movement is in a modified sonata form. This movement begins with a trill ostinato. The upper note of the ostinato traces a simple melodic line against the tonic bottom. This is the main theme. The countertheme is in the relative B Major. It is slower and melodic. The countertheme goes directly into a development section. The countermelody, rather than the main theme, is developed. In the recapitulation, the two themes are combined polyphonically and polytonally.

The modification of the form reflects three things. Firstly, the backdrop of life is death and struggle. Secondly, although that is the case, the contrasting, heroic living power is far more worthy of our attention and is what undergoes development in being. Finally, in the end, we live before death's face...

Agave
The agave is a desert cactus. It spreads out almost like a flower; but unlike a flower, it survives year in and year out in the inhospitable desert. It is so sweet that its flesh is processed and used as an alternative to sugar. Its glory is its steadfastness, longevity, and sweetness. Prickly and yet beautiful on the outside. Alive and sustaining of life on the inside. It is patient.



Some Notes on Agave
This piece is largely tonal. It is in F Sharp Major.  It is for keyboard and guitar. Although it is tonal, it uses a lot of quartal harmonies, polytonality, and some dissonance. The piece is a narrative in terms of formal structure; it expresses a motif, and then the rest of the piece is one long development section.

The piece starts with a solo piano. It begins with an unassuming moderato. The motif is almost an ostinato, but it moves just enough to suggest a simple melody. The guitar enters intermittently with a more melodic countermelody, lending it a simple polyphonic texture. 

After this brief interplay, the piece slowly begins to unfold and build. The piano begins to play fast chords while the guitar sings over it. Then it takes a step back. The piano returns to the ostinato melody; however, now in a variation. The guitar continues to play a melody consisting of long, patient notes as a slow, concurrent melodic line over the frenetic keyboard activity.

The piece reaches a climax with a third piano variation over the guitar's agave theme, like an agave plant riding a desert storm. The piece ends with a quiet inversion (also a variation) of the theme in the piano, with a slow scaling motion in the guitar. Finally, the guitar ends on the fourth scale degree, suggesting the sacredness of a liturgic resolution.

Copyright, Philip John Cornell, 2018, some rights reserved. You may download this content freely. If you share it, it must be prominently attributed to "PJ Cornell," and if shared online, a link to the original content must be provided in a prominent location. This audio and video content may not be used for commercial purposes or modified in any way without permission from the copyright owner.

Only the latest episodes of this show are available on iTunes and Soundcloud. To locate archives of this podcast, visit: http://pjcornell.com/category/asterisked-music/piano-podcast

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Sleeping City - Sonata for Guitar and Piano in e flat minor
This is a sonata for guitar and piano in e flat minor. While it is somewhat in the realms of minimalism and jazz in terms of style, it follows the basic classical three-movement sonata form. I chose e flat minor because it has a dark, murky, mysterious quality. F Sharp Major is its relative major (which is used in classical sonata form for the countertheme and second movement when the main key is minor), which, to my ear, has a rich, yet frosty sound to it.

Some Notes on "Sonata for Guitar and Piano in e flat minor"
This piece has three movements. The first movement is a sonata allegretto in e flat minor, the second movement is a ternary andante in F Sharp Major, and the third movement is a quick-paced rondo in e flat minor.

First Movement: Allegretto
This movement moves along at a somewhat leisurely pace. The keyboard opens in the tonic key with a simple ostinato. The guitar then enters mimicking the ostinato before launching into the theme. The keyboards maintain a rhythmic countermelody before shifting to the countertheme.
The countertheme is slower and is characterized, in the guitar, with relaxed slides, and a shift to an acoustic sound pallet. The piano has already entered into the development section before the guitar is done with the countertheme.
In the development section, the guitar returns to an electronic sound pallet in between keyboard solos that explore a few different keys with the theme and countertheme.
The recapitulation is a bit truncated and is really more of a continuation of the thoughts posed by the theme and counterthemes, rather than a full-blown recapitulation.

Second Movement: Andante
This is arguably the best part of the piece. It is in the relative F# Major. This movement is much less rhythmic and much more melodic than the other two movements. It is somewhat modal with a few chromaticisms and whole tones thrown in. The guitar uses an acoustic sound pallet. The theme of this movement is reminiscent of the countertheme of the first movement.
This piece follows a ternary form. The "B" section is a development section, but while the theme explores itself a bit here, it doesn't go too far off afield. The returning "A" theme is a variation on the original theme with a slightly more lively texture.

Third Movement: Rondo Vivace
This movement returns to e flat minor with a main theme that is reminiscent of the main theme in the first movement, but it is much shorter and frenetic.
The keyboard plays the F Sharp Major countertheme rather than the guitar, which plays an accompanying role. The theme is a bit slower than the main theme, but it is not leisurely; it has a moderate pace and emphasizes rhythm over melody.
The first return of the main theme is actually a brief development section. The main theme explores a few different keys before going in the "C" section.
The "C" section is materially different from the rest of the movement. It is somewhat reminiscent of the countertheme of the first movement. It is a brief development section, as well.
The recapitulation returns to e flat minor, and, rather than going into a final "ABA" format, it simply combines elements of the theme and countertheme in what could be considered an extended CODA.


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Rokaya

Muslims have a practice known as "Rokaya," which is a ceremonial prayer which cleanses a house of unclean spirits. The idea of this practice is highly suggestive to me. It suggests something rather akin to an exorcism, yet less theatrical. It's more like a center of calm in a person that they find deep within their soul and extends, gently, to their chest, stomach, legs and arms, head, and, finally, their toes and fingers. Consequently, an unshakeable calm saturates their entire body, soul, and spirit. When it does, one utters the rokaya -- assertively, powerfully, yet entirely devoid of aggression or impurity.

Demons, who thrive on soul decay, frustration, aggression, and hatred, are only repelled by the pure power expressed by the idea of this rokaya. It is humble and unassuming. When the one who expresses it encounters others, they set their demons are on the run, and that things in their life are set back in proper order. The rokaya has a cleansing, healing, and comforting effect.

Some Notes on Rokaya

This piece has of a number of intersecting elements. The tonal center is c#, with an initial suggestion of the minor mode, which, in my opinion, is the darkest key signature. It sounds "black" to me. But, as other instruments are introduced after the slow, simple pointillist opening with the solo piano, the harmonies become much more complex.

The guitar, and later, the piano, introduces an octatonic mode. There is complex, florid polyphony, polytonality, and polyrhythm that grows naturally from initially simple threads into twisted sinews, dissolving again into nothingness. The piece begins and ends on the same, simple, unassuming C# right above middle C. This particularly suggests, in spite of the complex, passionate journey of the piece, a stable sense of self. This portrays a sense of reassurance of a beneficent constancy and dependability of essence in the face of the darkness.

Some people can drive out demons by simply seeing the truth. The beholder sees your true self. When you encounter the beholder, your demons must leave. Thoe rokaya cleanses your home. It cleanses your soul.

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"Hotep" is an Egyptian word meaning "peace."

This is an instrumental rock song for electric keyboard, guitar and bass. From a technical standpoint, the piece takes the form of a theme and variation.

The stories told in Egypt, and the forms, laws, and totems they revered are all the same ones revered by the Western world today. "The Book of the Dead" has become "The Books of the Law." The ankh has become a cross. The "Ark of the Covenant" was the "Ark of the Contract." We turn to Sol-Om-On, and end our prayers with a dedication to The Hidden One. All cultures in the West have been variation on the themes handed down by Egypt. Even now, behind our facade of city skylines, corporate headquarters, and places of law-making, the heart of the Father beats, reconstituted and reborn.

The image used is in the public domain. Artist unknown.