Whilst the title of this post might seem like gratuitous word-mangling, it is in fact an apt topic with regards to this blog. Simply put, polysemiotic representationalism is the idea of representing multiple signs, symbols, or meanings, normally via one signifier.
The above image is from a previous composition of mine called ‘Childhood’s End’; it was based on a book of the same name by Arthur C. Clarke. The premise for the compositional process was for the music to represent both the general story line of the book and the evolution of humanity as written in the book. This was made into a structure thus (spoilers):
Section A. In the storyline there is the Cold War, humanity, violence, poverty, and imperfection. In evolution there is basic matter, the big bang explosion, and chemical reactions.
Section B. In the storyline there is the arrival of the overlords, there are large spaceships, a large alien race, and the gradual development of a better political system for humanity. In evolution there are simple organisms and the primordial soup.
Section C. In the storyline there are the “evil-looking” overlords, downfall of the last generation of homosapien humanity, suicide, and inevitable deaths. In evolution there are humans and mammals, there is self-awareness, complex cognitive behaviour, and entropy.
Section D. In the storyline the children synchronise with the Overmind, there is togetherness, they no longer look ‘human’, fulfilment. In the evolutionary storyline there is the newly-evolved humanity or Overmind, it is beyond comprehension and unrecognisable.
The four sections of the composition were based on a combination of timelines; this meant having to console certain aspects of the two timelines so that the music could cogently represent the attributes of both timelines.
This led me to query how the listener would respond to the music, regardless of the compositional process. It is very possible to have a disparity between the (programmatic) composer’s intended meaning(s) and the resultant interpretation from the listener, but I wanted this semantic interpretation to be integral to the composition. Therefore, the interpretation is intended to be free for the listener to interpret the composition as they wish – including the title.
It was this composition that inspired me to start this blog and line of inquiry, which in turn started my idea for my next composition, ‘Jazz Bible-Mass’; the details of this will unfold soon.
Polydoxical Music 