One of the most revolutionary concepts conceived by humanity in recent centuries is the notion that only that which undergoes change endures. What is alive exists solely in motion, in a state of flux, of development, of change. This is a common musical idea. It's curious, then, that music hasn't been invoked more frequently in metaphors discussing it. No one speaks of natural evolution as akin to a melody, nor do they liken ecosystem development to symphonies, or equate memory with rhythm. Rarely do we hear the universe described as a crescendo, perhaps destined to repeat itself like the recurring motif of an aria. While the Pythagoreans did describe the firmament as "the music of the stars," their focus was more on enduring stability rather than transient change. In contrast, modern thinkers lean towards emphasizing continual transformation over ultimate stability, a stability they doubt.

 

Manuel Velázquez's music emphasizes the transformations that permanence requires and tells us: to remain constant, everything must embrace change, utilize its plasticity, learn, grow, and mature. But he also understands constant transformation and stability as one and the same, perspectives of a world we inhabit but can never fully grasp, his pieces are sketches of our universe, and his music depicts (and narrates) how this world changes —and how, by changing, it changes us.

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Francisco Segovia