The Alchemist
[Solo Guitar]
The Alchemist is loosely based on Paolo Coelho’s celebrated novel – a moving story about Santiago, a shepherd boy from Andalusia, realising his dreams. The sonata is also about the art and symbolism of alchemy and how it might relate to Coelho’s narrative.
Mythology suggests that an alchemist can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, such as turning base metals, like lead, into gold. This made me think of two kinds of modern-day alchemists. The alchemist who can turn wooden planks into musical instruments (Hanson Yao), and the alchemist who can turn squiggles on a page into live musical sounds (Tengyue Zhang).
The sonata is in seven movements, each one referring to an episode in the novel and to alchemic symbolism.
The piece begins with a recurring dream, El Sueño de Santiago. Every time Santiago sleeps in a local abandoned church, he dreams of travelling to the pyramids in Egypt where he will find treasure. After consulting a fortune-teller, he decides to undertake the long and perilous trip. The journey will teach him many things and will ultimately change his life forever. In Tangier, he is overwhelmed by the chaotic foreign city, its people, its customs, and its language. He has his money stolen, so he must get a job to finance the rest of his journey. He finds work in a shop that sells Lead Crystal glass, he bides his time and builds up some savings. Eventually, the journey resumes and Santiago arrives at the Al-Fayoum Oasis, where he meets the love of his life, Fatima. He also seeks out The Alchemist from whom he wishes to learn the secrets of Alchemy. During Simum, using his newly acquired skills in alchemy, Santiago transforms himself into a fierce desert sandstorm to escape from men who are trying to kill him. Finally, Santiago arrives at the pyramids, only to learn that his treasure, Tesoro, is buried in the abandoned Spanish church where he first dreamed of it. He reunites with Fatima and returns with her to Andalusia.
In alchemy there are 7 heavenly bodies (planets) with 7 associated metals. There are 3 primes – Soul or sulphur, Spirit or mercury, Body or salt, and there are 4 elements – Water, Fire, Air, Earth. The heavenly bodies, primes, and elements have representative alchemical symbols. Each of the 7 movements of The Alchemist is linked with a heavenly body and its partner metal. A second layer of association comes through the primes and elements. The alchemical connections function as a parallel narrative to Paulo Ceohlo’s story in my sonata.
MOVEMENTS
1. El sueño de Santiago
2. Tangier
3. Lead Crystal
4. Al-Fayoum Oasis
5. Alchemy
6. Simum
7. Tesora
| Featured Product | Yes |
|---|---|
| Composer | GOSS, STEPHEN |
| Availability | Available |
| Level of Difficulty | 4 |
| Description | The Alchemist is loosely based on Paolo Coelho’s celebrated novel – a moving story about Santiago, a shepherd boy from Andalusia, realising his dreams. The sonata is also about the art and symbolism of alchemy and how it might relate to Coelho’s narrative. Mythology suggests that an alchemist can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary, such as turning base metals, like lead, into gold. This made me think of two kinds of modern-day alchemists. The alchemist who can turn wooden planks into musical instruments (Hanson Yao), and the alchemist who can turn squiggles on a page into live musical sounds (Tengyue Zhang). The sonata is in seven movements, each one referring to an episode in the novel and to alchemic symbolism. The piece begins with a recurring dream, El Sueño de Santiago. Every time Santiago sleeps in a local abandoned church, he dreams of travelling to the pyramids in Egypt where he will find treasure. After consulting a fortune-teller, he decides to undertake the long and perilous trip. The journey will teach him many things and will ultimately change his life forever. In Tangier, he is overwhelmed by the chaotic foreign city, its people, its customs, and its language. He has his money stolen, so he must get a job to finance the rest of his journey. He finds work in a shop that sells Lead Crystal glass, he bides his time and builds up some savings. Eventually, the journey resumes and Santiago arrives at the Al-Fayoum Oasis, where he meets the love of his life, Fatima. He also seeks out The Alchemist from whom he wishes to learn the secrets of Alchemy. During Simum, using his newly acquired skills in alchemy, Santiago transforms himself into a fierce desert sandstorm to escape from men who are trying to kill him. Finally, Santiago arrives at the pyramids, only to learn that his treasure, Tesoro, is buried in the abandoned Spanish church where he first dreamed of it. He reunites with Fatima and returns with her to Andalusia. In alchemy there are 7 heavenly bodies (planets) with 7 associated metals. There are 3 primes – Soul or sulphur, Spirit or mercury, Body or salt, and there are 4 elements – Water, Fire, Air, Earth. The heavenly bodies, primes, and elements have representative alchemical symbols. Each of the 7 movements of The Alchemist is linked with a heavenly body and its partner metal. A second layer of association comes through the primes and elements. The alchemical connections function as a parallel narrative to Paulo Ceohlo’s story in my sonata. MOVEMENTS 1. El sueño de Santiago 2. Tangier 3. Lead Crystal 4. Al-Fayoum Oasis 5. Alchemy 6. Simum 7. Tesora |