'Märchensammler' or 'Fairy-tale Collector' is the album I've been working on since the summer of 2021. As the writing process took its toll on me, I found it increasingly difficult to imagine what the cover would look like, or what I would even call the album altogether; but in a single moment, I imagined, I like to think, exactly this.
The imperfection is part of every art; as you grow in skill, you learn to execute what lies before your mind's eye with increasing accuracy: but every raw idea becomes muddled with details and developments as it grows to it's completion. I think that this is very evident in my own compositions; I start with an inspiration, and it develops into something whole and complete. Many of the pieces are written in F Minor, which I felt said the whimsical words 'once upon a time' in a dark and tragic fashion, befitting the gloom and brooding themes of the whole collection.
As I read through my favourite tales, I stopped at the brief description of Geppetto's time in the Dogfish.
'And how long have you been shut up here?' asked Pinocchio.
'Since that day-- it must be nearly two years ago; two years, my dear Pinocchio, that have seemed like two centuries!' (Pinocchio, Chapter 35, pg.189).
It spoke of a much larger story, one of great despair, as he spent those many months alone, facing what seemed his inevitable death. With these thoughts I turned to my piano.
If you would be so interested, you can listen to these fairy-tales being told through music on any major streaming platform.