01Asterism
The title piece began with the idea of a musical pattern of light. Originally there was even the thought of a children’s piece, inspired by Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, a melody Mathis loved. But the composition soon moved far beyond that starting point while retaining something of its playfulness. A continuous staccato eighth-note motion in the cellos and a steady two-beat pulse in the double bass create a sense of quiet orbital movement. Keyboard vibraphone resonance and a delicate upper melodic line appear above it like points of light, while a distant allusion to the familiar melody briefly surfaces within the texture — less a quotation than a half-remembered constellation.
02Lina's Gentle World
This piece developed slowly over many weeks and months. What began as a simple idea became more detailed, delicate and emotional. Pulsing vibraphone sounds created on the keyboard form a softly moving rhythmic surface, with the echoes themselves helping to shape the beat. Above them, a gentle flute melody seems to float at a distance, supported by choir-like keyboard harmonies. When the drums enter, the music moves into another dimension: the rhythms are subtle, varied and filigree — playful and full of energy, but never aggressive. In every note I hear the tenderness, wonder and happiness that Lina brings into our lives.
03The Jester
The Jester has a strong and almost physical sense of forward motion. Its 6/8 metre can be felt as two broad steps within each bar: the first three eighth notes form one step, the next three another — left foot, right foot, continually moving ahead. This gives the music something of a march, though not a rigid military one; it feels more like an elegant theatrical procession. Against these grounded steps, the saxophone moves with a completely different character: filigree, playful, light and agile, dancing around the pulse rather than merely following it. Marching and dancing, weight and grace, humour and unease continually coexist.
04Summer on Fire
I wrote this piece during several exceptionally hot summer weeks, when daytime temperatures were regularly above 30°C and at times approached 40°C, while even the nights often remained warm. That atmosphere of heat, restless energy and long summer evenings gradually entered the music. A long repeating bass-note pattern plays a leading role and is later taken up by the alto saxophone. At times there is an almost conversational question-and-answer relationship between bass and saxophones. The organ rises melodically through the texture and can become surprisingly forceful, while the electric piano brings moments of calm and tranquillity. The music builds and recedes in waves: heat, density and colour seem to ignite, shimmer and dissolve before eventually finding a more peaceful equilibrium.
05Beauty in the Cold
The piece follows a descending bass line — C → B → B♭ → A — with the accompanying harmonies Cmaj7 → Bm7♭5 → B♭maj7 → Am gradually settling downward. I composed Beauty in the Cold between December and March. For me, the music came to reflect persistence: continuing quietly, step by step, until something is complete. It is a reminder that endurance is not always hidden in darkness. Sometimes it can be seen in full light — steady, patient and unbroken.
06Beyond the Door
A mysterious door appears where no door had ever been before. Beyond it lies a world of melody, rhythm, words, fire, feeling and creative freedom — everything the artist longs for and fears at the same time. A guardian seems to stand in the way, warning against entering, yet gradually it becomes unclear whether he is truly a separate figure at all. Perhaps he is the cautious voice within: the part that says not to risk too much, not to reveal too much, not to become visible. In the end, the door was never truly locked. The real threshold is the moment when excuses disappear and only the decision to act remains.
