As I listened to Viggo Mortensen's piano poems, these words came to mind: tentative, exploratory, meditative, dissonant. Like good poems they blend into the time continuum. This music is a comforting backdrop for quiet activities like writing, meditating, laying on your back gazing at the stars, and watching the sun filter through the trees. I am vaguely reminded of Poulenc. There are rhythms that remind me of of Ravel. There is also a thinness (or transparency) in the style of Leon Russell.
These pieces are a quilt of quiet musings. For some reason I got the picture of a lover waiting for his love to wake as he patiently sits in the next room picking out the notes of his affection. I also thought of rain drops sliding down glass or dripping off trees (for example). If you like ambient music, you will like this CD.
Hi Elaine.
ReplyDeleteIt's funny. It wasn't until I saw the LOTR movies that I became aware of this man. I had no idea why I felt a kinship with him. It's a strange sensation to perceive something about a person yet not perceive the reason why. It's a trait, moving on some unseen level, below the soil of the soul.
It wasn't until I began to read about Viggo, and discovered a couple of his personal quirks, that I realized where this sense of similarity came from. I, too, like trees more than people, and spending time with just myself.
Now there is another discovery; his music. And so we share yet another trait in common - we are both artists. I love to have some type of soothing music in the background when I do my artwork so I am looking forward to adding this CD to my background ensemble.
Thanks for the comment. It is just those similarities (which I also share) that made me so hostile about "Eastern Promises" and showed me that I really know nothing about Mr. Mortensen. This knowledge has impinged somewhat on my enjoyment of his artistic works and brought a lot of clear-eyed detachment.
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