Recording by Ray Mase (trumpet) and David Pearl (piano)
Recording by Michael Tunnell (trumpet) and Meme Tunnell (piano):
In Hinduism, the doctrine of avatars holds that when evil becomes too great in the world, God takes the form of a human being or animal in order to counteract the evil. These avatars are especially associated with the god Vishnu, of whom there are “uncountable” incarnations, though generally only ten are considered, the last of which is yet to come. This superficial polytheism is resolved by the central belief that all gods are essentially one, in effect allowing Hinduism to "absorb" the gods and major figures of all other religions. In a broad sense, an avatar is an enlightened being who leads and inspires the spiritual lives of others.
One interpretation of the three movements of The Avatar is as a depiction of three significant events in the life of an enlightened one: birth, the search or struggle for release through enlightenment, and eventual attainment of emancipation or “second birth.” In the special case of the Buddhist Bodhisattvas, this long sought release is renounced, to return instead to the cycle of rebirths in order to facilitate the release of others.
An alternative interpretation of the work is as a depiction of three events central to the life of Christ (himself clearly an avatar in the broader sense): birth, crucifixion, and resurrection.
A third view of the work is as a musical depiction of three interconnected states of consciousness commonly experienced, whether over the period of an entire lifetime or at the level of a single issue: (1) a period of naiveté or blissful unawareness, (2) a time of prolonged reflection and struggle for understanding, and (3) a more fully conscious insight. This is the same “innocence/blissful ignorance–fall from grace/corruption–redemption/reintegration” theme that has fueled countless myths and works of art.
The Avatar was premiered by the International Society of Contemporary Music on May 9, 1991 in New York City, as performed by trumpeter Ray Mase and pianist Eliza Garth. The Avatar was composed for trumpeter Mike Tunnell and pianist Meme Tunnell, who premiered the first movement, Nativity, at the Potsdam New Music Festival in February 1990.
– Steve Rouse
Cover photo by Sabine at Pixabay: https://pixabay.com/users/schwoaze-4023294/