OPEN WORLD: IVa. Event - Etherean Artifact

NARRATION:

The hermit pulls out a heart-sized, stone-like object with rough edges and a smooth front surface, glowing and pulsating slowly. “I assume it told you about this,” the hermit says, and hands it to you. You acknowledge her, and take the object reluctantly, fearful of this unknown power. You learn that it is an Etherean Artifact, and it allows for unimaginable manipulation of ethera, also protecting the wielder from extreme and otherwise unsafe amounts of ethera. Upon receiving this, you are told to follow the artifact’s pulsating into the Cavern of Dreams. “The artifact will guide you to a hidden gateway. From there, your new journey awaits.” The hermit steps aside and watches you as you enter the Cavern, with a faint smile that soon changes to a look of concern as you are no longer in her sight. There seems to be something she does not want to tell you…
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Patrick Bartley - Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Percussion
Xavier Del Castillo - Tenor Saxophone, Flute
Glenn Zaleski - Piano
Russell Hall - Bass
Joe Peri - Drums
Vuyo Sotashe - Narrator

Open World Terms and World Info:
https://bit.ly/openworldfacts

In 2017, when I was 24 years old, I was asked by the MoMA to provide a new composition for the "New Music for New York" series, to be presented for the first time at MoMA's Summergarden summer festival. Each year, they asked 2 composers to present new music. From the grace of Wynton Marsalis's recommendation, I was chosen as one of the two for 2017, the other being Marquis Hill. It could be as long or short as it needed to be, and the entire 60-minute-show did not need to be the original piece. However, feeling pressed for time, I rummaged through old compositions trying to find something I never played before to see if I could present something quick. This proved to be fruitless, as I also needed to write and explain exactly what the piece was about and why it was important. Because this was my first time presenting something at such a large scale, I realized that I had to start from the meaning first, then the music second.

Well... After thinking hard about my interests and desires at the time, I decided that I would present the concept of a composition that placed the audience as the main character of a story that exists in an open world video game, presented with music alone. The entirety of the visual would be presented by the composition, and the listener should imagine themselves traversing through each area and its landscapes, uncovering the mysteries of the world through every movement.

The result of this grandiose concept became known as "Open World", a roughly 55-minute exploration of my imagination through sound. Feeling like the sound alone might not be enough to convey the feeling I wanted in story form, I decided to provide a clear direction for the audience in the form of narration. So, I wrote the script for the story, and had it narrated by the amazing Vuyo Sotashe, who delivered the exact interpretation of what I wanted to hear from this piece. What came of this combination of imagery, sound, and narrative was the beginning of a massive composition that I am extremely proud of, and stands as the clearest representation of my imagination to this day.

I'm hoping to get this professionally recorded one day, but for now, this is the best version that exists. It was recorded on one zoom, and I didn't have proper tracking available, so please pardon the quality. This was recorded for an ASCAP young composers competition, which didn't make it past qualifying rounds to be considered. I didn't let this discourage me, however, and I still hold this dear to me heart. I just really wanted to present this to you as the truest form of my expression today.

Thank you so much for listening, and I hope you enjoy your journey through my story.

Видео OPEN WORLD: IVa. Event - Etherean Artifact канала Patrick Bartley