Clarifications
- I’ve indicated schematically for each individual Chakra, as a reference table, the attributes on which I focused most to establish associations with the seven pieces. Then, I explained the criteria for my choices.
- It is important to specify that the individual pieces I have chosen lend themselves to the following associations with only one specific Chakra (thus, to a specific reference frequency) because they are clearly traceable to a tonal center, or at least a base frequency. For this reason, among the attributes of the Chakras, I have also indicated the “reference frequency.” In fact, I have chosen to refer to the following Chakra-frequency association system. There are others as well, but the one in question relates best to my choices.
Having said this, I don't want to claim to have made choices on a scientific basis: as I have already pointed out, objectivity is not what interests me. That said, the discussion just made regarding frequency connections can simply be seen as one more aspect that has been taken into consideration.
- A piece chosen for one chakra cannot be exchanged for another, since the context of association is very specific.
- The following associations do not have to do with synesthesia.
Given that each Chakra is also identified by a specific color, associating a specific piece with a Chakra necessarily also determines its association with the color of the Chakra in question. So one cannot speak of music connecting synaesthetically with colors.
The following photo shows the synaesthetic correlations of artists and scientists.
As we have seen, the chosen connection between Chakras and frequencies goes from C to B, from red to violet, passing through the other 5 colors of the rainbow.
It is interesting to note, in general, a certain similarity of the color-frequency associations of these scientists and artists with those related to the Chakras.
That said, even the synaesthetic discourse, despite the analysis of possible concordances, is difficult to objectify.
In fact, in his article "Colour and music”, Jörg Jewanski concludes that the artistic significance of synesthesia is difficult to assess as synesthetic perception is not univocal, therefore the synesthetic conception of the composer/artist does not necessarily coincide with that of the user (the public) of his work.(1)
1st Chakra
- Reference frequency: around C
- Element: Earth
- Position: base of the spinal column
- Color: red
- Main function: survival
- Aims: stability, confidence, physical health
- Identity: physical
- Characteristics: connection with the earth, trust, health, vitality, security
- Affirmations: ”I exist and I am real", "the earth supports me and meets my needs", "I love my body and trust its wisdom", "it is safe for me to be here".
- Associated piano piece:
Rachmaninov - Moment musicaux n.6
(Tonality: C major)
The six “moments musicaux” op.16 were written by Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninov in 1896. The sixth piece of the series is one of those pieces that I have always wanted to play but in the past, for one reason or another, had not been able to finalize its performance convincingly. I recently resumed studying it with a better qualitative approach, even from an analytical point of view.
Focusing on the exposition in particular, the piece has basically three characteristic musical elements: an accordal melody, from bar 3 onward, which develops into a first phrase of no less than 12 bars and then into a similar second phrase of 11 (and then on to the next section); an inner octave sub-line, divided between left and right hands in a continuous quaver pattern; and a perennial flow of demisemiquavers, which determines the harmonic vibration of the piece.
Of the first 14 bars, 2 opening and 12 thematic, 10 of them are in C major, in a majestic “fortissimo” in 3/4 rhythm.
But the result was not entirely satisfactory, as no real melodic phrase could be perceived due to a certain equality of the 3 musical elements and “per bar” phrase conducting. Because of this, one can hear a certain verticality, which comes at the expense of a desirable horizontal flowing conducting of the musical discourse.
Later on, I realized how important the 3/4 pulse was to orient the whole thing in the best possible way. I tried conducting and singing the piece by walking in tempo, always keeping in mind the agogical inflections: for example, the fact that the first two bars can be seen as a big up-beat of the down-beat entrance, in bar 3, of the accordal melody, so it is as if they were a big 6-beat momentum with an emphatic ritenuto just before the triumphant entrance of the theme. If the walking-pace is too discontinuous with respect to the conduction, it is an indication that something needs to be revised.
This kind of work, this search for a continuous connection with the earth, went hand in hand with the deepening of the attributes of the first chakra, all aimed at further enhancing my interpretive idea. On the one hand, there is the enveloping cyclical nature of the inner octave melody, as if to identify the energy generated by the Earth expressing itself and, each beat, returning “by gravity”, bringing about stability and security; on the other hand, there is the great majesty of the accordal melody, which rises from the other two elements expressing itself with solemnity, in a great manifestation of physical power and confidence, as if to say, “I exist and I am real”, or other statements of the first Chakra. The result is a great desire to affirm life from the perspective of physicalidentity. Also contributing to this, as mentioned above, are the strong tonal connotation in C major and the dynamics in “fortissimo”.
To date, this has definitely influenced how I interpret the piece more convincingly. At first, the overly sectorial approach to the three characteristic elements of the piece, played almost as if they were three separate entities, resulted in a quite vertical, “not flowing” trend. After that, work on interpretation in the aforementioned modes resulted in greater synergy of the structural components of the piece, and thus, greater expressive effectiveness.
EXAMPLE N.2:
2nd Chakra
- Reference frequency: around D
- Element: Water
- Position: abdomen, hips, genitals
- Color: orange
- Mainfunction: sexuality, emotions
- Aims: fluency, pleasure, feeling
- Identity: emotional
- Characteristics: sensuality, pleasure, desire, sensation, movement, emotional intelligence
- Affirmations: "I deserve pleasure in life", "I accept and celebrate but my sexuality", "I absorb information from my emotions", "my true nature seeks pleasure and joy".
- Associated piano piece:
Einaudi - "Le Onde"
(Tonality: D major, sometimes alternating with the relative minor B)
The piece “le onde” (“the waves”) published in 1996, is one of my favorites among those written by Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi.
The association of the piece with the second chakra was gradual. Studying the chakra in question and noting its correlation with the water element, several piano compositions associated with this element came to mind. The selection was then narrowed down considering the forced connection (in my opinion) of most of those pieces with other aspects of the chakra, such as sexuality, pleasure, desire. The choice eventually fell on Einaudi's piece, because of both my instincts and crucial considerations analyzing the score, which I will go on to explain.
The author specifies “Andante con moto,” after which, in the fifth bar, he indicates, “dolce e cantabile, marking the melody”. Thus, two lines are defined: the melodic line, which tends to develop in descending direction, and the bass, which constantly presents arpeggiated harmonies in ascending direction. This creates a synergistic flow between the two lines, constant and always becoming, in a continuous “coming together”, to express themselves together becoming one. In fact, in some moments the last note of the bass line converges in unison with the last note of the melodic line, almost as a natural consequence of this harmonious and profound dialogue.
All of this to me could allude to a sexual act, to a sexuality experienced in a healthy, gentle, all-encompassing way, in connection with one's emotions and desires, with pleasure. I could further say in this case that, in addition to the music, the title of the piece itself could literally evoke the continuous movement of waves and metaphorically the above.
I was a bit puzzled when I read for the first time “andante con moto” in the score, as I remembered having heard, years ago or more recently, interpretations that did not exactly reflect that wording, as they were set to a tempo that was not so flowing. So, I set out to interpret it more literally, but first I too tried playing it as if it had another title and without paying too much attention to the composer's instructions.
EXAMPLE N.1:
After that, I looked for an interpretive key that would best reflect all the considerations made earlier. I therefore chose a more fluent but never hurried tempo, and I strove to enhance the narrative climaxes while maintaining a costate synergy between the two musical lines.
The result is an interpretation that is more emotionally engaging, more passionate (and consistent with the attributes of the second Chakra) than the previous one, which was instead more inclined toward a contemplative attitude.
EXAMPLE N.2:
3rd Chakra
- Reference frequency: around E
- Element: Fire
- Position: solar plexus
- Color: yellow
- Main function: strength, will
- Aims: self-esteem, vitality, spontaneity, willpower, purpose
- Identity: ego
- Characteristics: energy, will, power, autonomy, trust, individuation
- Affirmations: “I honor the strength within me", "The fire within me burns away all blocks and fears", "I am confident in everything I do", "I respect myself at all times".
- Associated piano piece:
Scriabin - “Vers la flamme”
(Tonality: there’s not a fixed tonality, but the piece begins and ends with the E on the bass, which triggers and supports everything else. In addition, there are other key moments that insist on the note E)
As I wrote in the chapter “reasons for my research”, the artistic ideas and music of Russian composer Alexander Scriabin, particularly the works he composed after 1900, have had a significant impact on my sensibility in recent years. One of the last pieces he wrote, the poem op.72 “vers la flamme” is one of my favorite pieces.
This, of all 7, is the only case where there has been no change in interpreting the piece considering its association with a particular chakra. This is simply because my path of improvement in interpreting the piece has always spontaneously turned out to be in line with enhancing the attributes of the 3rd chakra even before I became aware of the latter! Therefore, no specific focusing process was necessary, since as I said the whole thing was already well in focus from the beginning.
It is really an escalation of light, fire, temperature (again, the title of the piece is explanatory).
There is a situation of initial darkness, with a fire that comes to life very gradually, and then grows and asserts itself more and more, until a rather explosive final overheating.
Among the third Chakra affirmations, in particular: “the fire within me burns away all blocks and fears” best describes this process.
It is another moment of affirmation of one's vitality, energy, will, power! The observation and eventually knowledge of these aspects of the third Chakra convinced me to pursue the path of my already established interpretation.
It’s a different energy from those of the 1st and 2nd chakras: it’s something truly visceral that gradually expresses itself in a disruptive way.
To date, I can finally say that I consider this piece to be the natural exaltation of the 3rd Chakra.
Below is the ending of the piece.
4th Chakra
- Reference frequency: around F
- Element: Air
- Position: heart, chest, cardiac plexus
- Color: green
- Main function: love, balance, relations
- Aims: balance, compassion, self-acceptance, good relationships
- Identity: social
- Characteristics: empathy, compassion, altruism, ability to love, open and welcome, intimacy
- Affirmations: "I love myself and others", "I am worthy of being loved", "I live in balance with others", "I have the strength to follow my heart".
- Associated piano piece:
Schumann - “Träumerei”
(Tonality: F major)
Since childhood I used to play German composer Robert Schumann's “Träumerei,” the seventh piece from the 13 “Kinderszenen” op.15, composed in 1838. The title can be translated as “rêverie,” a term that was sometimes used in the language of critics to indicate a kind of fantastic, dreamy abandon.
Thinking about how to structure the set list of pieces for “The Cakra Experience” concert, I decided not to take a linear path, presenting from the first to the seventh chakra or viceversa, but to get “to the heart” of the matter, to the 4th Chakra, the chakra of the heart, of Love, in perfect balance between the first, second and third, more related to the Earth, and fifth, sixth and seventh, more related to the Universe. So, I was looking for a final piece at the same time simple and powerful, able to clearly convey the message of love at the conclusion of the whole spiritual journey in connection with music and Chakras. I therefore deemed this piece by Schumann as the most appropriate one to channel the vibrations of the fourth chakra.
Also musically speaking, the piece has aspects that in my opinion lend themselves to this correlation. It has a clearly A-B-A structure of 8 bars each. Each individual section of 8 bars can be divided, in turn, into phrases of 4 bars + 4 more. These phrases have similar internal characteristics to each other, which determine the “verse-like” (so: “poem-like”) style of the piece: the harmonic rhythm can almost always be traced back to the initial pattern, as can the melodic pattern (always cantabile in “piano” dynamic). Moreover, the modulations are never far from the tonal center, F major, a fixed reference that thus results in a kind of, precisely, “harmonic heart” of the piece. All this determines, as mentioned, its simplicity but at the same time its clarity, thus the intensity and strength of its expressive potential.
Resuming the concert-related discussion, for me it'slike: "We have finally arrived at the heart of this path". There is then an awareness of the journey we have been on, the stages we have gone through and the emotions we have experienced.
So it is the final stage of a search for inner peace, this merging with Universe and Earth. We have reached this point because we have had "the strength to follow our heart."
With this concert I would like to send this message of Love, of listening to ourselves in relationship with others and with the environment, the world, the universe in which we live. That we are all connected and can always choose the quality of our thoughts and emotions by entering into relationship with our essence, without ignoring and denying our instincts and emotions.
It's all about consciousness arising from listening, acceptance, letting it flow, and having the ability to choose whether to face certain emotional blocks, certain demons, that prevent us from expressing our vitality, our essence, our soul to its fullest potential in this existence.
This last considerationisfundamentalas a general idea and setting of the wholepath.
All of this is a process toward harmony and balance.
Unfortunately, I do not have a recording of how, perhaps 15 years ago, I played this piece. In this case, there is no significant difference between the various interpretations I have recorded more recently, but I can say for certain that the effort to focus and try to convey all the above considerations certainly directed the way I played it.
5th Chakra
- Reference frequency: around G
- Element: Sound
- Position: throat, pharyngeal plexus
- Color: blue
- Main function: communication
- Aims: clear communication, resonance, creativity
- Identity: creative
- Characteristics: finding one's voice, listening, communication, creativity, resonance
- Affirmations: "I listen and speak the truth", "I express myself with clear intent", "creativity flows in me and through me", "my voice is needed".
- Associated piano piece:
Vine - "Chorale"
(Tonality: G major)
A couple of years ago, listening to various piano works by Australian composer Carl Vine, I fell in love with the 12 “Anne Landa preludes” written in 2006. Every time I do a full listening of the series I am impressed by the great variety of colors, twists, styles: from romantic to ironic, from mysterious to touching, such as the piece that closes the series, entitled: “Chorale.” Here, after 11 pieces and almost 20 minutes of music, there is like a need to communicate one last message: the music expresses a confidential narrative, a kind of retrospective consideration of an important life experience, something that you don't tell to the first person who comes along, that when you decide to tell it you do it as if it were a declaration of love, of gratitude. Not surprisingly, it is the last piece in the series.
Noting then the attributes of the fifth Chakra, I found many commonalities with the above considerations regarding the piece. Therefore, I tried to interpret it as an opportunity to get in touch with such spiritual feelings and inclinations, discovering others, such as the importance of our disposition to listen to others, to thus be in resonance with our own voice and that of others. Fifth Chakra affirmations such as, “I express myself with clear intent,” “my voice is needed,” further center this personal association between piece and Chakra for me.
Below are two versions of the piece, the first recorded in early September and the second in late February. In the latter I tried (with a somewhat less declamatory, but more delicate and gentle cantabile than the first version) to express this message as if it were the last chance to share it in all its importance.
It is also interesting to note that, compared to the 2nd chakra, there is certainly much less erotic charge in the 5th; but I think the effort in trying to convey that in the 2nd chakra there is a connection, thus a resonance, physical, sexual/emotional, while in the 5th the resonance is of a different kind, more related to the honesty of our intentions to listen to ourselves and to our neighbor is important.
6th Chakra
- Reference frequency: around A
- Element: Light
- Position: forehead, eyebrows, third eye
- Color: indigo
- Main function: Intuition, imagination
- Aims: psychic perception, accurate interpretation, clarity of vision
- Identity: archetypal
- Characteristics: Intuition, visualization, introspection, imagination, perception, dreams
- Affirmations: "I see everything clearly", "I am open to inner wisdom", "I can manifest my vision", "I think clearly".
- Associated piano piece:
Tanaka - “Water dance I”
(Tonality: A major)
When I first listened to Japanese composer Karen Tanaka's three “Water dances,” written in 2011, I was enchanted and fascinated by such ethereal, almost intangible music. Listening to them again, I reflected on the composer's correlation of these pieces with the element of water, as it came naturally to me to associate the first one (and partially the second one) with the element of light. I well remember this perception of light expanding in my forehead as I listened to the piece with my eyes closed with headphones on. A while later I recorded it trying to follow the dynamic and tempo indications literally, eventually without being completely satisfied with the result.
EXAMPLE N.1:
Later, as I deepened my knowledge of the Chakras, in this case of the sixth, I remembered that feeling of light that I had experienced while listening to Water dance I: I then decided to play the piece again considering this new awareness.
Similarly to Debussy's choice to indicate the title of his preludes at the end of the piece, as if to say, "this is my image of the piece, I do not exclude other possible and valid associations”, in this case the title, in order to create awareness of this chakra, is not relevant, in fact the connection is with the Light Chakra, not the Water one). The composer indicates: "Very lightly and flow."
I therefore undertook to create with this piece a constant carpet of sound, like an imperishable source of light (from which various kinds of light resonances arise).
This source springs forth an active contemplation, without dramatic narrative contrasts, but never obvious. I sought an interpretive key designed to evoke this light first in the forehead (as when I first heard the piece), and then spread out, creating a spiritually enveloping listening experience.
Therefore, I decreased the playing speed and generally dampened the dynamics a bit.
EXAMPLE N.2:
After several performances, I concluded that the latter version did not fully satisfy me either, as it tended to be a little bland. This finally led me to choose a third interpretive way, with a tempo about halfway between the previous two, the right measure to best evoke the aforementioned considerations, according to my sensibility.
EXAMPLE N.3:
7th Chakra
- Reference frequency: around B
- Element: Tought
- Position: top of the head, cerebral cortex
- Color: violet
- Main function: consciousness
- Aims: wisdom, knowledge, spiritual connection
- Identity: universal
- Characteristics: transcendence, universal identity, consciousness, intelligence, thought system, higher power
- Affirmations: "The world is my teacher", "I am guided by a higher force", "I seek experiences that nourish my spirit", "I am open to new ideas".
- Associated piano piece:
Pärt - “Für Alina”
(Tonality: B minor)
Even before associating it with the 7th Chakra, this piece, written by the Estonian composer Arvo Pärt in 1976, has always conveyed to me a sense of great focus arising from the power of the essential, or rather, the essence: just two lines in the high register springing from a “generator”bass. The composer writes as interpretive directions: "Calm, elevated/sublime, listening inwardly"
EXAMPLE N.1:
I always perceived, listening to and playing it the first few times, a kind of spontaneous inclination to project it into a larger context than the earthly, into something higher.
After learning more about the attributes of the seventh Chakra (listed above in summary), the association with this piece came naturally and led me to an even more heartfelt key of interpretation.
The “generator” bass opens the possibility for me to begin a personal journey of spiritual connection. In each successive bar (from the second, onward) the two lines in the high register increase by one note, from the initial 2 notes up to 8, and back from 8 to 2, each bar one note less (plus a final bar of 3 notes).
In the first part, each note that is added is like one more dowel of my consciousness and my personal universal identity and awareness, of my place in Creation.
This awareness gradually grows, expands reaching a level of transcendence and wisdom such that it allows me to focus with a form of Universal Thought, higher than earthly thought, which cannot be explained in words.
After that, gradually returning to the 2 notes, it is as if the whole thing follows a parabola process, such that in the end I return to the original essence, but enriched by a great awareness of the Spiritual Journey I have just made.
Playing it now, I try to give even more importance to each individual note that is added and then slowly, from the second part of the piece, deducted.
EXAMPLE N.2: