In a fascinating session on 16th June, covering metaphor, extended metaphors, allegory and symbols, Jeff got us to think about the images we remember from books and before asking us to have a go at using an object – e.g. a special hat, a pair of sunglasses, a piano or a deckchair – and its associations to describe a character.
Paul Harvey enjoyed the workshop so much that he had to finish what he started. He says: ‘It mutated into a situation where Igor Stravinsky meets a Mr Franz Kafka who helps him score "The Rite of Spring" and it’s Mr Kafka that through an industrial accident has turned into a beetle. Here is the part where Stravinsky plays a draft version of Rite of Spring to Gustav and Franz Kafka.’
“Please Rachel you will have me crying.” Igor replied, with that she left the apartment.
Igor opened the window and the modern world of sound came flooding in. He walked over to the piano sat down next to it, took out a pen and let inspiration take over his soul. He banged the piano, notes came out not in order, the notes were in there waiting to be placed into order. Bit by bit, by bit, by bit the notes began to fit. Cut shaped stuck and snipped. White keys, black keys, the rhythm of a locomotive the hammer of a rock drill, the pounding of a primitive’s drum. Something primal, primitive, rhythmic began to be heard. A form of prehistoric jazz, came out of the piano into the room. Stravinsky played, wrote, hammered the piano until this primeval dance was finished. When finished he turned around. Gustav had his mouth wide open; Franz was motionless tea cup in one leg, Turkish cigarette in the next, tea spoon in the right top and burning match in bottom right. The match burnt his leg and the vigorous shaking broke the brothers out of their primordial trance.
“What do you think of that?” Igor asked his audience, both the brothers looked at him as if he were mad.
By Paul Harvey