Chapter 42: The Whiteness of the Whale
Anju A.
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“The Whiteness of the Whale,” a chapter from Mellville’s Moby-Dick, juxtaposes a multitude of seemingly miscellaneous but vivid imagery with the concepts of whiteness and nihilism, and questions our perception of reality. As a musical interpretation of an excerpt from this chapter, this piano quintet attempts to express many themes including gender, death and nihilism, as well as the unique stylistic features of Melville’s prose. For example, the piano’s sustained pedal in the beginning imitates Melville’s repetition of the consonant “s;” the notes and words are drawn out, creating space when pedal is released (0:21). Similarly, the layered harmony from 0:40 portrays colors layering and blending, while the transition to a second violin solo (1:06), then to cello (1:30) depicts colors being peeled off to reveal the white “charnel-house” within (Melville 194). I hope this piece will allow you to gain, through acoustic “visualization,” a better understanding of Whiteness.
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For me, creativity is finding new perspectives on ideas and connections between ideas.