The Eyes of Tapio

 

The Eyes of Tapio
My starting point was this painting by Sue Cordingley, which I see as a dark mysterious forest. The black 'holes' are portals into the inner soul of the forest. Or perhaps trombones. Or perhaps the eyes of Tapio, the Finnish god of the forest. I set out to interpret the painting in music as a static object, but in the end it turned out to be an exploration of how the image might evolve if it was alive.

The music starts in a restless and mysterious forest in the middle of the night. After a while in the early hours of the morning the forest quietens and becomes more peaceful. Then suddenly the portals open with a fanfare, followed by a short period of nervous anticipation, before the inner spirit appears and the forest is bathed in light. Finally the music ends in a riot of colour, incorporating some of the soundscapes heard earlier in the piece.

I first learned about Tapio when I bought an LP 50 years ago of the tone poem Tapiola by Sibelius. Recently while listening to Tapiola I realised that it had subconsciously inspired this piece. The basso profundo, the swirling strings and the outbursts of raucous brass in Tapiola all find echoes in The Eyes of Tapio.

© Alan Wrigley Feb 2016