February
MUSIC Information:
- All year round music
- C major/A minor
- 48 Measures
- Cello and Piano
- 2:48 min
- 4 Pages
“The day and time itself: late afternoon in early February, was there a moment of the year better suited for despair?” ― Alice McDermott
ACROSS THE SKY
I remember playing this piece for a recital, though the result wasn't as good as I'd hoped. Playing in front of a live audience is intimidating and uncomfortable for me, at least—so things can go wrong, and they certainly did that day. But as a performer, you forgive yourself and try to move on.
For this piece, I chose the key of C major for its accessibility and happy character. When I wrote 'February,' I envisioned a fast, light piece—like a colorful butterfly flapping its wings, ready to take flight across the sky. I've since made some revisions to the melody line, and I'm presenting the final product here
SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL
Butterflies have been an inspiration for artists across the globe, from songs and paintings to sculptures. Due to their unique transformation from caterpillars, their incomparable strength and fragility, and their undeniable beauty, all combined made the butterfly a fascinating insect—and the most familiar to all.
Nobody knows exactly how many butterfly species exist, but there have been numerous attempts to count them. It was shocking to me to learn that biologists more or less agree on a number around 20,000. The work they've put into this project is monumental.
Butterflies can be found on all continents. They are adored by everyone, and one doesn't have to be an expert to fully appreciate their beauty. Their complete life cycle is a whole universe in itself—they are simply beautiful.
LONG JOURNEY
When I see a butterfly, I get thrilled and marvel at their bright colors. I smile foolishly if one flies close to my face. Even though they are elusive insects, lepidopterists_ the word sounds like a disease to me_ have been able to conduct extensive research and studies of their habitat.
For the Monarch butterfly, migration is essential for survival. The month of February marks the beginning of a long journey from central Mexico back south to Canada, where they spend the summer. It is a 2,700-mile trip, and no doubt, they face many struggles during this expedition. Despite their fragile appearance, they are strong and determined. Their instincts and sense of navigation are superb.
FOR ALL I KNOW
But who is better equipped to write about butterflies than a poet? They, with all their wisdom, can describe with impressive accuracy what most people see and feel but are unable to put into words.
There is a poem by Pavel Friedmann that speaks to me in a way no others do. For all I know, he could have written it on a cold February afternoon. Pavel Friedmann was a prisoner in Theresienstadt when he wrote it. The tragedy of it all makes his words resonate even to this day. In just a few lines, he was able to capture some of the most profound human emotions: despair, contentment, hope, and fear.
The last, the very last,
So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow.
Perhaps if the sun's tears would sing
against a white stone. . . .
Such, such a yellow
Is carried lightly 'way up high.
It went away I'm sure because it wished to
kiss the world good-bye.
For seven weeks I've lived in here,
Penned up inside this ghetto.
But I have found what I love here.
The dandelions call to me
And the white chestnut branches in the court.
Only I never saw another butterfly.
That butterfly was the last one.
Butterflies don't live in here,
in the ghetto.
HOPEFUL, ENVIOUS
The yellow butterfly roaming around Theresienstadt, minding its own business and clueless of the atrocities taking place, made Pavel hopeful and perhaps a bit envious. Envious that the insect could fly far away from that place, as close to the sun as possible. Hopeful because one day, Friedmann wished, he too could be free to move about just like the last butterfly he saw before his execution.
I wanted this cello-piano duet to outline some of the characteristics of this beautiful living insect. If you are listening to this composition, think of all the wonders the butterfly brings to the world. After all, according to the Smithsonian Institution, it is one of the most appealing creatures in the natural world.