5.70 min.
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This is Part Two of the recently posted improvisation celebrating childhood in Springfield, New Jersey. The impressionistic nature of this piece recalls the forest environment, the meandering stream, the impressive waterfalls and formidable rock formations which once stood at the western end of Baltusrol Avenue. These natural features were obliterated with the construction of Route 24, when the widening of the super highway and new alignment engineering permanently altered this once lovely landscape.
Most of my memories of this area probably stem from visits beginning in 1955 through the mid-Sixties, when the last time I saw this place may have been around 1965. In this musical improvisation I am remembering the delights to both the eye and the ear as we explored the natural elements and investigated the splendors of the forest. Today, unfortunately, there are virtually no areas left of this once vast environment.
The music begins with a wistful remembrance of the size and extent of the forest, with the first theme appearing around 00:25, and an intimation of entering the forest at 00:30. There are impressions of dancing in the sunlight, with the main theme at 00:53 suggesting the opening of natural doors or windows to allow in light and air. There is a hint of dance at 1:33, and a palpable feeling of cold rocks at 1:57, where once we climbed in the summer and then gazed at the frozen waterfalls in the winter. A theme of the playfulness of children occurs at 2:09, and the solidity of the rocks is suggested at 2:22. The playful theme continues at 2:27 and suggests the eventual passage of time from early morning until late afternoon, where the dispensation of the day enters a change of form through altered states of light. At 3:21 there is a brief quote of the famous French song "Frere Jacques," which fades to obscurity. Rolling waters are suggested at 3:52, and the love of children seems to become the theme of a song at 4:17 and 4:22. There are intimations of echoes at 4:55, and the end of day approaches at 5:16. At 5:36 there is a final musical affirmation of life with the held chord holding sway.
Performed on my vintage Galanti accordion, a cassotto instrument with very fine reeds and some special sonic attributes, all housed within a uniquely shaped, very ergonomically designed body.
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Tags: Accordion Akkordeon Fisarmonica Harmonikka Galanti vintage-instruments classical improvisation Idyllic-poem forest-adventures childhood sonic-portrait live-music acoustic-music Concert Classical-Music poems dance themes variations Springfield-NJ Baltusrol-Avenue vanishing-America Live live music Theme Performance
