Zwei Welten
… Zwei Welten was inspired by Traudi and Winfried Z., who shared one world for many decades. In the end, struck by tragedy, both were driven into their own worlds, next to one another, yet apart.

Petito Lento
… This variation on the original Petito was inspired by advice from my friend in composition, Nigel Osborne.

Wandelung
… This piece contains the whole of a metamorphosis within me. Two major changes of appearance at the beginning and end of this inner transformation were both superficial symbolism and social statement.
The piece begins with trees swaying in the wind and ends with bells of calmness ringing.

The Cross
… The Cross was inspired by the poem ‘The Cross is Gone' by Karl Sylvester.
The first three chords of the right hand resemble a cross.

Adele
… This work is named after my friend Adele M., with whom I studied and collaborated. The piece was part of a soundscape for a short film in which an old man remembers a traumatic event from his childhood, recalling with all his senses what he had experienced all those years ago.

First Days of the Century
… Dedicated to Frau Bechert (1903 - 1997) who I felt was my granny although she wasn't. Although she was very old when she died, I felt one pillar in my life broke away. She accepted me for who I am.

Lullaby for a Sleepy Child
… The lyrics to this piece (see p. 60) were written with my childhood self in mind, always scared at night and having wild nightmares ranging from monsters, vampires and aliens, to war, illness and death.
The sheep clouds refer to my favourite book as a little child, ‘Das Wolkenschaf'. A little girl helps her new friend, a cloud lamb, to return to the sky although this means losing her little friend for good. I persuaded my mother to read this story over and over to me, and I cried every time.

Vroni Holzmann, Oct 2010

Some of the poetry that inspired the Wandelung compositional works

The cross is gone

The cross is gone
the moss has grown
only nature guards the throne
how she suffers every hand
that sees profit in the land
and so replies to every child
i'll give you strength
to change your kind
your brighter spirits
heart and mind

[© 2010 Karl Sylvester]

 

All ideas

All ideas
are purely imperfect
applied imperfectly
to an imperfect world
all such words as these
deny perfection
endless reflections
of reflections

[© 2010 Karl Sylvester]

 

Today

Today, not too far from where you live
relatively,
someone was hurt by senseless violence.
Also in your area
definitely,
a person was damaged by neglect.
A simple arrangement killed a child today
for they were in too much of a hurry.
Today, a stone's throw from your seated indulgence
a man froze to death.
Another, sick of rejection and false notes
lost his marbles.
When you look out your window you're scared
I think you are just like me.

[© 2010 Karl Sylvester]