Music has the ability to capture one's emotions... to enmesh the imagination in an auditory narrative and to create an environment of it's own. This week's Book of the Week,
Hungarian Rhapsody, makes tribute to the power of music.
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| Pages from an old music book illuminate the script of song |
Whether listening to Bach, the Beach Boys, or Notorious B.I.G., music has the unequivocal ability to shanghai the senses. As a child my first piano concerto was the duet, "Chopsticks" (
The Celebrated Chop Waltz by Euphemia Allen.) My friend Sandy and I pounded away at our two parts again and again... and again. The blending of the harmonies was one of the few times we weren't arguing! The book
Hungarian Rhapsody is based on t
he piano hinge book which was developed by book artist and instructor Hedi Kyle. I've utilized chopsticks as the binding rods (serendipity!) and strengthened the spine area of the pages with marbled japanese paper.
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| Hinge pins of chopsticks are woven through the pages and cover ribbon loops |
Open the book and the pages move a bit awkwardly.. a bit
choppy for a book. (heh heh) The book structure seems to be taking over the imagination and demanding attention... Perhaps I've made the hinges too tight. Or, perhaps this is how the piano hinge book
plays.
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| Some hinges are a bit tight...don't want to accommodate opening and closing |
Though some of the pages have a bit of tension and want to spring up, some of the hinges work perfectly and lie flat and smooth. Like the musical notes on the pages, the
book pages tend to rise and fall in a rhythm all their own.
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| A concerto of harmony |
This is the first time I've made this book structure and I wasn't sure I liked the structure when I finished the book. I like my books to look good and feel good and this book didn't act as expected.
Hungarian Rhapsody is awkward visually and physically. Still, that awkwardness has captured my imagination and I'm forced to relate to the book on
its terms ...much like music affects the senses.
Kathy
