As much as I enjoy reading novels, stories, and plays, I find it extremely challenging to come up with a story or scenario myself, let alone write them down and develop them as a writer does. This was the case until recently when I received an exciting commission that brought me into an unknown path.
The Unknown Path
The idea was to write a new piece for reed quintet, that would tell a story with ties to Schiermonnikoog Island while also feeling deeply personal to me. And all of it had to fit within ten minutes. Additionally, the festival was interested in incorporating a narrator alongside the music. And that was a real challenge..!!
At first, I searched through dozens of stories, plays, myths, and literary works, yet nothing quite matched the concept or the length I had in mind. I was also insisting on a first-person narrative—a non-negotiable for me, an absolute must. I wanted the narrator to unveil the story “poco a poco,” speaking to himself while the audience listened to the piece. I imagined the audience closing their eyes while listening to the piece and the story, picturing themselves on a remote and distant island, standing with their feet in the cold water by the beach, alone in the dark of night. I couldn't find anything;
I had no other option except to write the story myself. And that was the pathway with no return...!!
Put on the Writer's Hat!
There are many similarities between the process of a composer writing a new piece of music and that of a writer writing a new novel. When comparing literature to music, a story has a narration (or creates a certain situation), rhythms, polyphony, harmony, and form. All of these elements are similar in both disciplines. However, the methods, techniques, and strategies needed in each field to obtain these elements and combine them in a unified work are different.
Let me give you an example. Polyphony in music is setting two, or more, individual lines of melodies confronting each other simultaneously. Perhaps the well-known examples of polyphony are the fugues of Bach. In literature, similarly, a polyphony can be achieved by combining different perspectives, or narrations. David Lodge explains that polyphony in a novel is a “novel in which a variety of conflicting ideological positions are given a voice and set in play both between and within individual speaking subjects, without being placed and judged by an authoritative authorial voice.” ² To simplify, this means that polyphonic writing allows characters to express their contrasting ideologies and beliefs while the writer does not guide readers toward specific conclusions or single truths. Instead, readers draw their own conclusions from the ideas and thoughts presented in the text.
On the other hand, the concept of polyphony in literature refers to the pluralist view of the world: there is no single truth, no single perspective, or indefinitely correct viewpoint, and all thoughts and ideas coexist simultaneously in a contrapuntal relationship.³
Other examples of musical concepts in literature are the works by Milan Kundera, whose several works are inspired by musical concepts and forms such as polyphony, dodecaphony, harmony, fugues, sonatas, and symphonies. He believed that polyphony can be achieved by combining different writing styles and genres, such as philosophy, narrative, dream, and essays. Hence he describes his novels as "novelistic counterpoint."
“the novel has tremendous synthetic power, that it could be poetry, fantasy, philosophy, aphorism, and essay all rolled into one” (Milan Kundera in an interview with Christian Salmon, The Paris Review, 1984) ¹
There are many other examples of parallels between music and literature. I'll explore this subject further in a future blog.
Stepping into the role of a writer was an exciting shift! As a composer, understanding the connections between music and writing was very important. I already had a good grasp of musical theory and a library of literary works in my mind to draw inspiration from. However, the idea of facing this new challenge, stepping out of my comfort zone, and hopefully uncovering a hidden talent within myself was especially exciting!
Surrounded by Maps, History, Myth, and Art
To begin the process of writing the story, I needed sources and materials for inspiration. Hence, I explored the history of the island and its famous northern lighthouse. Discovering the island's past, I found a history full of recurring floods that repeatedly wiped out the entire villages, forcing the people to either build new dikes and barriers or move to the opposite side of the island to escape the waters. Also, I began to collect many historic maps, and paintings of mythical creatures and stories. While searching, I found an incredible platform called the Rijks Museum Studio, where I found high-res paintings and historic maps. I was blown away by the beauty of the artworks available there and made a selection of artworks related to mythical stories and underwater monsters. While writing both the story and the music, these paintings helped me a lot visualize the plot in my mind.
Among the maps, I found the one below the most fascinating: the Schiermonnikoog island in 1809! An island with 14 houses, a church, and a windmill. Nowadays, it's a beautiful land with almost 970 residents and almost 300,000 tourist visitors per year.
The Story
A Shimmering Light is the story of a man who lives on a remote island. His monologues reveal his thoughts and observations. His monologues reveal that he serves as the island's lighthouse keeper, or, as he believes, the 'only guardian of the light.' The extreme conditions on the island added to his insanity of loneliness driving him into an unexpected delusional situation. While the work includes imaginary elements, many are inspired by real locations and features on Schiermonnikoog Island.
One of the most essential aspects of this work for me was to create a story with a deeply personal meaning. Living in the Netherlands alone wasn’t enough of a reason to write something inspired by Schiermonnikoog island—it had to resonate on a much deeper level. As many know, I have a great love for Persian mythology and literature, and I was eager to get some inspiration from this loving part of my identity. Through the creative process, I explored numerous mythical stories filled with sea creatures, mermaids, and monsters. At some point, I came across a fascinating book, and a masterful story by the Iranian writer Moniro Ravanipour, titled "The Drowned." This story has many references to the folklore and mythology of southern Iran, especially from the Persian Gulf region. Therefore, discovering these tales—such as the myth of the sea monster Bousalmeh, which I referenced shortly in my own story—was so inspiring. And something very unique about her book is that the rituals, believes, and stories that are narrated in this book were all written down from the writer's own childhood memory of them. I found that fascinating.
Aside from that book, I brought other quotes and translations from other literary works.
"Beyond the seas, there is a city where the sun is as radiant as the eyes of the early morning risers." Sohrab Sepehri, Beyond Seas: Hajm - e - sabz.
Molto Marcato: The Sound World of the Story
The process of composing the music was started almost at the last phase of finishing the story. The original composition is written for a Reed Quintet, which includes an oboe, clarinet, alto saxophone, bass clarinet, and bassoon. Besides that, the story is narrated in a recorded voiceover format, played according to cues in the score, and synchronized with the live performance by an extra off-stage performer.
I collaborated with my great friend, artist and singer, Zachary West, to record the narration. His impressive voice and his outstanding performance breathed life into the character.
Finding the right tone and expressions to connect the story's character with the music's intensity and aesthetic was quite challenging. On the other hand, we had to record the story lines while a considerable portion of the music was still being written. Therefore, during my meetings with Zac, we discussed the story and its underlying concept and philosophy, brainstormed about the emotions and inner thoughts of our character, listened to some music samples while rehearsing the lines. Also, he helped me a lot with editing and correcting the text.
The recording session with Zac was truly an unforgettable experience. I was truly fortunate to have my wonderful friend, Frerik de Jong, on board to join us as the audio engineer to record Zac's voice.
In the past couple of years, I have arranged the piece for different instrumentation, namely saxophone quintet ( B♭ clarinet + saxophone quartet, or five saxophones.)
This Journey Continues in 2025/2026:
New Collaborations + New Parts + An Illustrated Music Book
"A Shimmering Light quickly became one of my most beloved works. Although it premiered at the Schiermonnikoog Festival and the current version is being performed, since the beginning of this work I have seen this piece as a long creative journey to explore new and undiscovered areas in my artistic career. Currently, I am preparing for a new collaboration with an exceptionally talented painter to reinterpret the story as an illustrated music book. I will keep you all posted.
"A Shimmering Light" is ready to be brought to Life. Scores and parts are available on demand. More information about the piece:
References:
Salmon, C. (1984). Milan Kundera, The Art of Fiction No. 81. The Paris Review No. 92.
Williams, P. A. (2015). Writing the Polyphonic Novel. Writing in Practice, 1.
Novák, R. (2023). Polyphony of form and ideas in the works of Milan Kundera. Journal of European Studies, 53(2), 179-197. https://doi.org/10.1177/00472441231172059