For Alan Turing (2011) for solo piano. Live on Youtube 17.02.2021
"Dip the apple in the brew. Let the Sleeping Death seep through."
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney, 1937
Lockdown 2021 has hit us hard. Stuck inside surrounded by snow and ice, homeschooling/hometeaching once again but this time with a false assurance, because we’ve done it before, right? So we carry on treating this as “normal”… Our forced stillness, remoteness and depression is where we are. This piece represents that for me, but also provides space to inspect and reflect.
Its duration is anywhere between 2 hours 37 minutes and 7 hours 51 minutes. I will decide on the note/fermata values live, so I have no idea how long this version will be. It has never been performed in full, live, so there’s an element of the unknown as I prepare for it. I practice a few forms of Yoga, meditation and prayer, all of which have relevance for what I’m about to do. For me, sitting at my piano is a form of meditation. I practice meditative concentration as I play and listen, allowing myself to be directed by what I hear: the shifts in sound and energy; the mistakes; the unexpected emphases. I allow it all in as it is all valid.
My preparation for this piece is different. My main concerns are: not leaving the piano stool for breaks (food, drink, toilet); not becoming seized up in my posture; to remain focussed and engaged with the score.
I will fast on the day to ensure I can stay on my stool. I am new to fasting although is perhaps where my yoga practice was heading next. They say you obtain a heightened focus when you fast. It allows you to get closer to your Higher Self, moving you into the 6th and 7th chakras, representing wisdom and enlightenment… I ease into this as I head towards the performance, increasing my fasting a few hours at a time. I’m not sure how I feel about it right now… we shall see.
To sit for long periods of time is also part of a disciplined Yoga practice. Sitting according to gravity, allowing the natural structure of the skeleton to hold me up will help. Conversely, I’ll also adopt a fluid state of small constant movements, not remaining still and cramped but always loose and smooth. An alternating combination of both, perhaps. I know that the more I move, the better I feel.
Focus - listen- be busy and concerned with everything. To investigate each duration and decay, not just wait for them to finish so I can move on. To begin to appreciate new things as I move through. The endurance of this piece will change my perspective on what I am doing and hearing, and I’m looking forward to it. I know it will be awesome.