Solo [The Bharani Library] Keynote Discovery

[Davor Aveloz]

20th hour, 30th of Spring, 516 A.V.

Davor had grown up in a library, so he was perfectly comfortable with the intimidating sight of towers of books. His best friends had, at times, been the yellowed pages of ancient tomes containing knowledge of bygone eras. When the days where hard or the weight of his issues too heavy to bear alone, the youth could always rely on the familiar feeling of paper between his fingers to bring him back within the reach of recovery. The only thing that brought him more comfort than the smell of old books and the sight of books on a shelf was birthing sound from his violin.

So when the sheer vastness and size of the library before Davor sent shivers down his spine, one could understand how truly astounding the Bharani Library seemed to the Symenestran. Entering through the ornate doors which marked the passage into the building was like crossing the threshold into a whole new world. One where knowledge reigned supreme instead of strength of arm, and one where anyone could ascend to greatness given enough effort. The books on the shelves sand to the youth like a siren's song, beguiling and entreating the boy to lose himself in their fairy-tale folds.

A small cough shook Davor out of his stupor, bringing his attention down to the desk at which he had wandered to. A man, small in stature but young in appearance, sat patiently in what appeared to be a rather comfy leather chair. His bore a curious look on his face and his long brown hair hid what Davor was sure was an inquisitive eyebrow. The man looked expectedly at the Symenestran youth, before sighing with slight irritation.

"Can I help you?"

Understanding sparked to life as a dark blush settled easily onto the youth's face. He must have cut an unintelligent figure before the stranger, and Davor wished for a moment he could just vanish from sight. How was it someone incapable of saying a word could still manage to make a fool of himself in social situations?

With and embarrassed smile, the youth reached into his inside jacket pocket to retrieve his journal and a charcoal pencil. Davor didn't want to waste time with charades or with the vain hope that this stranger somehow understood Signing, so with neat handwriting he scrawled out his intentions and handed the book to the man.

"Hello, my name is Davor. Could you help me find some books on Music? Specifically on Theory and Composition?"

A bemused expression crossed the man's face as he read the words, handing the book back to the youth once he was finished.

"You a mute or something?"

Davor simply nodded in response, slightly taken aback by the man's directness. Standing without any more inquiry, the man motioned for Davor to follow him through the vastness that was the Bharani Library. The Symenestran did so diligently, making great effort not to be sidetracked by the inviting corridors which tempted his curiosity. The walk did not take long, and Davor was grateful for the other man's help and presence. Without him their, the youth would have undoubtedly gotten lost in the vast passageways that made the Cribellum look tiny in comparison.

The man stopped as they entered another indistinguishable area filled to the brim with bookshelves. His hands flitted past the spines of a variety of literature, before stopping and gripping two leather-bound objects. They looked of about medium size, one with a red cover and the other with a blue. The man led Davor to a desk and placed the books on the solid wood beneath them.

"Here. Two journals by the composer Leo Trevalti. Revered in his time and a bit of a traditionalist, but not many people talk about him anymore. Should be enough to get you started. If you need any more help, just ask one of the floating Seekers."

Davor smiled broadly as he sat down to occupy the empty chair before him. He began to write a thank you to the man, but he was gone by the time the Symenestran finished. Shrugging to himself quietly, Davor turned to red-bound book and dove into the messy musings of the established composer.

[Davor Aveloz]

Eyes alight with curiosity, the Symenestran tore through the pages laid out before him. Whomever this 'Leo Trevalti' was, they certainly knew their stuff. Many of the concepts he introduced simply went over Davor's understanding of musical theory. The boy could string together as pretty a set of notes as the next player, but the things that Mr. Trevalti discussed were on an entirely different level of complexity. Davor was used to playing things that simply sounded good together, weaving a song based on personal preference and a limited knowledge of song-styles. However, when reading Mr. Trevalti's work, Davor discovered it was like he was trying to speak a language while understanding none of the grammar and having half of the vocabulary necessary.

Clefs, for example. Prior to this reading, Davor simply had no idea that they had existed. He had always either just read music and hymns meant for the violin or emulated what he heard when creating music of his own. Here, however, Mr. Trevalti made explicit the importance of a Clef.

In music, the Clef is akin to speaking a different dialect of the same language. The Treble Clef, for example, is used primarily for instruments like the violin or the higher notes of the horn. It can light and airy, or sharp and stabbing, depending on the way one is playing. However, for instruments like the the gamba or the bagpipes, one should primarily stay within the range of the Bass Clef, as fingering any note beyond the middle C of the Clef extends beyond the intended range of the instrument. Essentially, a Clef is the range of notes that an instrument is able to play. Understanding this is key to conducting and creating music, as if one does not know the limits of an instrument, one can not truly know what an instrument is capable of.

It took a couple readings before Davor felt comfortable enough to move on. Further in the literature, it made a documented list of the most commonly used Clefs. The Treble, for instruments capable of the highest notes, the Bass, for instruments of lower and darker sounds, Alto, for middling instruments like the viola, and the Baritone, whose exact purpose still escaped Davor. Having already been taught the names of notes and their fingering as a musical novice, the youth only skimmed past Mr. Trevalti's following sections on notes and rests.

A dull glaze began to settle comfortably on Davor's face as he peered past section after section of reading. Much of what Mr. Trevalti was attempting to imprint in his journal were concepts that Davor had learned while initially picking up the violin. And that which wasn't covered in his first teachings proved beyond Davor's understanding. As a writer, Mr. Trevalti seemed assume that his readers were either simpletons or masters of musical theory, and since Davor was neither, he was having issue with picking out small facts that would be useful to his learning. With a silent sigh, the Symenestran child began closing the book, but not before a couple of sentences jumped from the page and into the forefront of his mind.

...Rhythm, however, is not the simple manipulation of the speed at which one plays. It is a war against silence, with strategic crescendos climaxes, and decrescendos that either inspire or face the grim face of defeat.

OOCI actually don't know much about musical theory, so I apologize in advance for getting anything wrong.