The Aqulia Suite by Uli Jon Roth
In 2005 Uli Jon Roth asked me to create pictures for the 12 solo piano pieces of his Aquila Suite. „Quite a challenge“, I thought, „no lyrics, no guitars, no band or orchestra“ – just a piano, capricious and highly virtuoso. To my surprise, inspiration came easily. Beautiful and powerful images appeared, bright and shining, even though sometimes too abstract to take any material shape…
RIVER OF OBLIVION
In greek mythologie the soul of the deceased, on its way to Hades – the realm of the dead – is drifting down the river Lethe while slowly detaching all bonds with its past life.
For me this river represents a dimension bridge, connecting two of many spheres within the vast complexity of our ‘being’. It also symbolizes the journey/ascend from the prison of individual experience towards the liberation of merging with the one cosmic force and truth.
EVENING WING
For me the swan is an allegory for artistic and spiritual initiation and evolvement, but even more so, it symbolises or almost embodies the mystery of true inspiration. When evening comes, the majestic bird passes the gates of night (the two temples) on its return to the infinite realms of spiritual beauty and clarity.
AUTUMN LEAVES
Like all my ‘Ufo’-compositions, this one came about quite incidentally. I was involved in creating a dramatic autumnal athmosphere, which was well reflected and supplemented by the archaic force of the Stonehenge-monument, when, out of nowhere, this rather old fashioned looking Ufo showed up, slowly descending from the dimension gate right on top of it.
Was it the circular shape? Was it the perspectival match? I don´t know, but the whole incident didn´t feel strange at all. In fact, the sight looked quite familiar, everything seemed totally plausible, even logical. Funny, isn´t it? Anyway, there you have it: Autumn Leaves – mind you, I´m not quite sure about the title anymore..
