Ten Sefirot For Piano - Score

Spasov, Miroslav

Abstract

My main creative interest in this work is closely related to and influenced by the study of cognitive science and anthropology, particularly the parallels between musical structures and culturally influenced consciousness. In this piece, I draw inspiration from the ancient tradition of Kabbalah, the Jewish mystical school of thought that explores the concept of 'reception' or 'tradition'. The ten Sephirot in Kabbalah represent a step-by-step process that illuminates the 'Divine plan' as it unfolds in 'Creation'. The 'Infinite Light' is dispersed among these Sephirot, and my collection of musical miniatures aims to metaphorically reflect this process acoustically.
I have been particularly inspired by the concept of the Sephirot's 'light refraction' and used it as a metaphor to develop a musical form consisting of separate short movements based on a simple melodic phrase. Each movement draws from the rich folk musical tradition of the Slavic people in southeastern Europe, predominantly from the Balkan peninsula (North Macedonia, the southern part of Serbia, Bulgaria, and northern parts of Greece).
The 'sonic illumination' begins with Keter (above-consciousness), represented by a five-tone 'rubato' song. It continues through Hokmah (wisdom) with a slow dance phrase, Bina (understanding) with a rhythmic character, Hesed (kindness) with a lullaby-like motive, Gevurah (severity) with an 'impressionistic' mode, Tifferet (beauty) with a tonality-bound traditional phrase, Netzah (eternity) with a folk dance, Hod (splendour) with a marching rhythm, Yesod (foundation) with an 'elegy', and concludes with Malkuth (kingship) with emotional pathos.
The eleventh miniature, DA’AT (Knowledge of Good and Evil), unites all ten Sephirot metaphorically. It is represented by an extremely simple melody consisting of three tones in downward motion, a motif common in the folk music of the region and found across many cultural traditions worldwide.

Citation

Spasov, M. (2021). Ten Sefirot For Piano - Score. [PDF/Demo piece]

• Other Type: Composition
• Publication Date: 2021-12
• Deposit Date: Jun 1, 2024
• Public URL: https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/845154