Opal Hand

for kantele & kokle. 6’

Opal Hand is inspired by the art of René Lalique, and was written for an imaginary plucked stringed instrument. At once mono- and polyphonic, it can take form in various ways — for guitars, harps, kanteles, or even qanuns. The version heard above is a duet.

As for the rhythm, it unfolds in fifty-one cycles of thirty-three, such that the whole time-geometry could be heard as 33 x 17 x 3.

Photo credits:

Turun Linnan Museo
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Labradorite_polie_3(Madagascar).jpg

Al-'Attarin Madrasa
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Al-Attarine_Madrasa_DSCF3614_(R_Prazeres).jpg
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Cleveland Museum of Art
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2002.1