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stellavesperis · 5 months ago

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Through the Smoke

This is my original work and I do not give permission for this to be reposted outside of tumblr, or used in any other sort of way without my expressed permission. Please be respectful of it.

Oki doki! Now that I'm actually getting around to posting this, I'm a little bit nervous about it lol, but here is my short orchestral piece "Through the Smoke" based on the aftermath of Dagor Bragollach. This isn't exactly part of the Noldolantë project that I'm working on, but this is a taste of my style and contains the main musical themes I do intend to work into it. It was ultimately inspired by a fanfic I read by @sweetteaanddragons called "Through the Smoke I See You" about Maglor's defense of the Gap, which proceeded to stew in my brain until another scene developed from it (see below cut for more). Be forewarned, this is an MP3 sound file derived from a notation software, so expect the instrument quality to match that. Additionally, that initial theme/meter transition is a bit rough because I can't get the playback to do what I want it to do :(. This wouldn't happen ideally in an actual performance with intuitive players. (I want to say feedback is appreciated because I want to improve, but I also don't know if I can take super harsh critiques right now, so keep it gentle if you must). A lengthy discussion of the music and the scene below.

The Scene in Question:

In the original fic, Maglor is trying to prove some things by defending the Gap at all costs, resulting in him having to be dragged away from the battle unconscious to Himring (I won't say much more about the fic because you should go read it. It's short and worth your time). It's narrated from Maglor's perspective. The scene which then presented itself to me was from Maedhros' perspective. After successfully defending Himring, he was waiting on the battlements and staring off into the smoky, glowing haze that blanketed all of Beleriand as far as the eye could see. For all he knew, his was the only stronghold that had fended off Morgoth's attacks. There was the faintest of rains that allowed a brief respite from the burning ash-laden air. Off in the distance, the sentinels spot several horses running from the direction of Maglor's lands- it's unclear at first who their riders are, but once they recognize them, Maedhros lifts his heart that someone else is still alive and rushes to the gates to meet his brother, who he then realizes is wounded.

More on the Music itself:

I deliberated for a while which of my WIPs to post because all of them have interconnected musical motifs, which you have to have heard in the previous piece to understand its meaning, but I settled for this one because I was the happiest with where it was. It also contains several different character themes/ leitmotifs that I get to talk about.

The first theme to make an appearance is the B section of Maedhros' theme, pitched higher on the violin. This is his secondary theme, which was originally played on the horn (White Fire is the next piece I'd like to post, so you can understand this more fully). I definitely intend to use this going forward. I begin to overlap this with what I've decided to call the Main Theme/Overture of the Noldolantë, which creates a lot of dissonance before opening up more fully around the one minute mark (the meter transition really is rough to capture on the notation software I was using, neither the ritardando nor the breath I scripted show up in the recording) Around 1:23, it opens up into a theme that vaults up before coming back down that I've used for Maglor basically ever since I first read the Silmarillion. I've played it so many times I’ve lost the capacity to determine if it is actually a good fit for him- it just is his theme and my music would be vacant without it. This leitmotif is adjoined to the main theme for the Noldolantë. Underneath Maglor's theme is the harp line I used for Maedhros' return from his capture (i.e. a subtle reminder that he couldn't save his brother from Thangorodrim, his guilt being the driving force of his actions in the fic, as well as the pulse of his theme here).

At this point in time, I kinda just started having fun with the music to see what else could be fit together, so be less concerned with what the themes mean narratively. The first four notes (me re me do) that begin after the caesura at 1:40ish have also been associated with the Sons of Fëanor ever since I read the Silmarillion, and I haven't been able to resist using them in my cadences whenever possible. The harp line at this part actually belongs to the viola line from "Finwë and Indis". Finally, the violin (te le sol sol) is the abbreviated leitmotif for the Silmarils. This is a super short motif on purpose because I can work it into a variety of settings and disguise it underneath a lot of other lines without detracting too much from anything else that's going on, just enough to be a subtle reminder of their presence (or lack thereof).

Whew! That was a lot. Thank you again to anyone who took the time to read/listen. I really appreciate the support I've received from you all in the past few weeks- it's given me the courage to be a bit more bold about my music. I hope that it lives up to your expectations :)

(And thanks again to @sweetteaanddragons for letting me post this!)

#silmarillion #sweetteaanddragons #the silmarillion #tolkien #tolkien music #silm fandom #maglor #maedhros #feanorians #tolkien legendarium #silm music #silmarillion stage adaptation idea #sorta kinda #Noldolantë #dagor bragollach #ettelenethelien #forrestpoet #curiouselleth #eri-pl

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lovelyparanormalbooks · 7 years ago

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Blog Tour: Wings Unseen by Rebecca Gomez Farrell (Top Ten List + Giveaway)

Wings Unseen Rebecca Gomez Farrell Published by: Meerkat Press Publication date: August 22nd 2017 Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

To end a civil war, Lansera’s King Turyn relinquished a quarter of his kingdom to create Medua, exiling all who would honor greed over valor to this new realm on the other side of the mountains. The Meduans and Lanserim have maintained an uneasy truce for two generations, but their ways of life are as compatible as oil and water. When Vesperi, a Meduan noblewoman, kills a Lanserim spy with a lick of her silver flame, she hopes the powerful display of magic will convince her father to name her as his heir. She doesn’t know the act will draw the eye of the tyrannical Guj, Medua’s leader, or that the spy was the brother of Serrafina Gavenstone, the fiancèe of Turyn’s grandson, Prince Janto. As Janto sets out for an annual competition on the mysterious island of Braven, Serra accepts an invitation to study with the religious Brotherhood, hoping for somewhere to grieve her brother’s murder in peace. What she finds instead is a horror that threatens both countries, devouring all living things and leaving husks of skin in its wake. To defeat it, Janto and Serra must learn to work together with the only person who possesses the magic that can: the beautiful Vesperi, whom no one knows murdered Serra’s brother. An ultimate rejection plunges Vesperi forward toward their shared destiny, with the powerful Guj on her heels and the menacing beating of unseen wings all about. Readers of all ages will enjoy Wings Unseen, Rebecca Gomez Farrell’s first full-length novel. It is a fully-imagined epic fantasy with an unforgettable cast of characters.

Top 10 List Top Ten Writing Environments Thank you for hosting me, Cas and Lovely Paranormal Books! I’m sharing my Top Ten Writing Environments with you today.

My home office: The single most important writing environment for me is, of course, the one I use the most: my laptop with an attached flat-screen monitor on my desk. Depending on where I’m living at the moment, that desk may be in its own room (preferred!) or in a corner of the living room (current). Usually, there is no music, and if I’m really on a writing binge, no background noise of any kind. Except for the cats begging for dinner.

Coffee shops: Whether called a café, coffee shop, coffee house, or any combination thereof, these spaces are my go-to for writing when I need to escape that home office. And because I’m also a food and drink blogger, I love trying new cafes all the time. I meet up with a fellow writer at least once a week at a different café for a few hours of assured productivity. Just getting that change of scenery can be recharging…as can be discovering a fabulous new place to take friends for a cuppa in the future.

My backyard: We are lucky to have an apartment that also has a large shared backyard! Our cats are even luckier, because they’d go stir crazy if stuck inside all the time…like I tend to get! When the mood strikes, I head downstairs with my cup of coffee and my laptop, plop onto a beach chair, and get my writing groove going with a fresh breeze through my hair. Then I water my potted plants on a break, once I see how droopy they are.

The beach: That beach chair in #3? It’s also important for when I absolutely must get some sea air to recharge. I’ve spent three-quarters of my life within half an hour of the ocean, so when that drained feeling comes on me, I head down to the nearest shoreline STAT! Otherwise, I turn into tumbleweeds. But with my beach chair and a sweatshirt—Northern Californian coastlines are cold! —I am set for a few hours of writing time and a few feet-in-the-water Instagram pics.

The park: Sometimes, even a 15-minute drive to the ocean feels too far away. When I need a change of scenery and the great outdoors but can’t quite fit in a beach excursion, I load my laptop into one of my messenger bags, grab a blanket, and pull up some grass in any number of sunny parks in walking distance. Living in Oakland, that includes Lake Merritt, which isn’t quite as scenic as the ocean and involves dodging geese, but it certainly does the job of escape.

Sleep: The visual landscape of dreams inspires me, so sleep is an essential writing environment. Whatever disparate threads I’m thinking about may come together in the web of a dream and give me a hint as to where I should go next with a writing project. Or maybe they’ll inspire an entirely new one! Though I’m still a bit afraid to delve into that recurring nightmare from my childhood about a giant eyeball that keeps growing…

Beer gardens: My husband and I do a lot of work on the weekends because we are blessed to have our careers also be passions we’d pursue as hobbies otherwise. We’ll take our respective laptops and find a nice outdoors beer garden and get to work separately, but still enjoying each other’s company. I’ll likely order a flight of beers to see me through two hours or so of productivity, because how can I know which beer I like the most if I don’t sample them all? These are food blogger problems.

A restaurant table: To make this work, I must have a notebook on one side of the place setting and my camera on the other and enough elbow room to work with both. Why? Because in this environment, I am likely writing for my food blog! I love getting invited out to try a restaurant’s new menu, and that involves multitasking by jotting down my thoughts on the combinations of flavors and textures in each dish while taking multiple snapshots to get the lighting just right for when I write up a full post on the experience later.

My desk, AFTER DARK: Bow chicka wow-wow! Okay, I’m not going there, but I am going to low lights with either a glass of absinthe or wine, and the oh-so-relaxing feeling of a deadline staring me down. Yes, I mean relaxing sarcastically! Funny enough, when I do really need to get something done that night, I find it easier to stay focused if my environment and drink is soothing. I regularly write into the evenings as a night owl, but I only pull those big guns out when I need to loosen the mind enough to perform on a tight schedule.

At a writing retreat: I imagine this to be in a sun-drenched breakfast nook at a beautiful country inn. I can only imagine it, because I’ve only applied to a writing fellowship once in my life. But they sound amazing! I would love to get away for a week or more and just have permission to write. I imagine cool morning mist, friendly faces when I need to surface for human companionship, and the near endless clicking of my fingertips on keys. Someday.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo

Author Bio: In all but one career aptitude test Rebecca Gomez Farrell has taken, writer has been the #1 result. But when she tastes the salty air and hears the sea lions bark, she wonders if maybe sea captain was the right choice after all. Currently marooned in Oakland, CA, Becca is an associate member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Her short stories, which run the gamut of speculative fiction genres, have been published by Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Pulp Literature, the Future Fire, Typehouse Literary Magazine, and an upcoming story in theDark, Luminous Wings anthology from Pole to Pole Publishing among others. Maya’s Vacation, her contemporary romance novella, is available from Clean Reads. She is thrilled to have Meerkat Press publish her debut novel.

Becca’s food, drink, and travel writing, which has appeared in local media in CA and NC, can primarily be found at her blog, The Gourmez. For a list of all her published work, fiction and nonfiction, check out her author website at RebeccaGomezFarrell.com.

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