About Michael Strand & I Have Seen

Michael Strand is a Norwegian musician and composer known for his work in contemporary music and art rock / classical crossover. He often blends various genres and styles in his compositions, and his work typically involves a mix of orchestral and electronic elements. Strand is recognized for his innovative approach to music, often incorporating unique instrumentation and sound design.

In addition to composing, he also engages in collaborations with other artists—among them his wife Ingvil, Tom Brechtlein, and Stanley Clarke—and he has contributed to various music projects and a dance performance.

Although his musical background does not include formal training in music theory and composition, he creates works that are both technically proficient and emotionally resonant.

"I Have Seen"

Michael Strand's "I Have Seen" is an audio-visual epic that explores the folly and hope of mankind through a word- and sound-painting. 

The 47 minutes long piece is structured around the 23-verse poem written by English poet Neville Potter—famous for his work with Chick Corea and Return to Forever. Strand was inspired to create this composition with an overture including the spoken verse 1, and two instrumental transitions: after verse 5 and 9. It is a notable work that showcases his unique compositional style that explores rich textures and intricate harmonic progressions, often emphasizing the interplay between various musical elements, beautifully sung by Anders Gjønnes. 

Themes of “I Have Seen” typically reflect Strand's blending of contemporary music techniques with emotive storytelling. It also involves a narrative aspect, inspired by personal experiences and broader human themes.

Themes

The work touches on several profound themes:

1. Human history:
   The poem spans various historical periods, from ancient civilizations to modern times, referencing events like the building of pyramids, conquests, and world wars.
2. Duality of human nature:
   It juxtaposes mankind's capacity for both destruction and creation, highlighting folly and hope.
3. Power and its consequences:
   The piece explores the rise and fall of empires, the impact of false prophets, and the suppression of knowledge.
4. Nature and cosmic perspective:
   It includes observations of the natural world, from galaxies to wild roses, providing a sense of scale to human experiences.
5. Resilience and renewal:
   The poem touches on themes of hope, rebirth, and the cyclical nature of life.

Structure

"I Have Seen" is structured as follows:

1. Poetic form:
   The work consists of 23 verses, each exploring different aspects of human experience and history.
2. Musical composition:
   Strand's dramatic sound-painting supports and elaborates on the pictorial scenes in Potter's lyrics.
3. Cyclical nature:
   While the poem progresses through various scenes and time periods, it maintains a cyclical structure that reinforces themes of regeneration.
4. Narrative arc:
   Despite its cyclical elements, the piece also follows a linear narrative that builds towards a culmination.
5. Audio-visual integration:
   The work is introduced as a painting is music you can see, and music is a painting you can hear [Quote: Miles Davis], and also described as an audio-visual epic and word- and sound-painting, suggesting a tight integration between the visual and auditory elements.

This structure allows "I Have Seen" to present a comprehensive exploration of human experience, blending historical events with philosophical reflections on the nature of existence and the human condition.
 

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