Description

Originated from the Akan people of West Africa, Anansi is the name given to a mythological spider who is depicted in numerous fables over centuries of African folklore. Anansi is portrayed as a brilliant, cunning, and often wicked character who uses his wit and creativity to triumph over his enemies. Regarded as a trickster, these legends represent him as both a protagonist who outsmarts villains and an antagonist whose trickery brings various evils from the gods to humankind. This piece is intended to be a character study of Anansi rather than to represent a particular tale.

Melding an aesthetic of darkness and evil with occasional moments of triumph and rejoicing, the tone of this piece paints a picture of a complex character whose shadowy charm inspires tales of both virtuosity and treachery. With Anansi being an eight-legged creature, the number 8 plays an important role in the tonal language of the piece, as an octatonic (or 8-note) scale is strictly used throughout. By using this scale, often referred to as the half-whole diminished scale, a deceptive but enchanting effect blankets the overall sound of the work. While a major tonic chord can be achieved and is utilized throughout the work, other standard conventions of functional Western harmony (such as the dominant and pre-dominant chords) are omitted, meaning that the harmonic language in itself is an example of aural trickery.

The orchestration techniques are also used as an extension of the Anansi character, as various effects, colors, and countermelodies indicate a tongue-in-cheek sense of cleverness or perhaps a hidden element of mischief among the moments of hope. The work concludes with a final statement of the ‘heroic’ theme, fused with sudden polyphonic segments of the same theme in diminution, as if mocking the main theme. One final eruption of this segmented theme is heard to conclude the work, as Anansi seems to swiftly crawl down to earth bringing evil, goodness, or perhaps something in-between.

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