Notes on "Broken Vessels"

(Notes by Peter Saltzman)

This is the lone solo piano section of the piece, and though short it's extremely tough to play—the left hand plays the melody andaccompaniment, while the right hand goes off on it's own, doing some sort of whole-tone based figure that becomes increasingly chaotic. This, by the way, is the only piano part that is completely written out. The rest is partially or completely improvised. The melody here returns in the Finale.

The title comes from a beautiful Kabbalah image: when God creates the universe, his infinite light, too much for mere mortals, has to be contained (emanated) in vessels, aka the sefirot. All but three of these ten sefirotic vessels themselves are overwhelmed by the light and break into shard like pieces. According to Kabbala it is our role as human being to help repair the broken pieces, repair the world (tikkun olam), which has been pretty much damaged goods from the get go. In this sense we are partners with God in creation.

Part 1

• Prologue
• Unity
• I Was There
• Indeterminacy
• Sooner or Later
• Shekina's Dream
• Interlude
• Quantum Funk
• Quantum Reprise
• Broken Vessels
• Oseh Shalom

Part 2

• Living In Another Time
• Superstrings
• Blues without Barlines
• Force of Nature
• Searching
• Finale
•  
• Main Music Page