(this image is part of the Art Is AnInsurgent Poem cover)
“24 preludes for a fugue” is a beautiful documentary about Estonian composer Arvo Pärt. When he explains something about his music or music in general, it seems to hear the universe talking. “The Perception of What’s Coming” is a song inspired by the magic of the music and the words of Arvo Pärt.
There are different cycles in this song: the melody is made of phrases that cycle in 6 but the bass (and chords) cycle in 5, so they take a little to reunite (5 times the phrases/6 times the bass). Then we improvise on a cycle of three minor chords or rather, a three tonic system (i.e. Coltrane’s Giant Steps), but only on the three tonics Bm7, Gm7 and Ebm7, creating a never-ending harmonic loop.
You can listen to the song here, performed live at the Italian national radio station programme “Rai3-PiazzaVerdi”
And here is an episode from “24 preludes for a fugue” where Arvo Pärt talks about his composition Fur Alina, don’t miss it!: