1. General Description

“Music for the End of Time” is a 52-minute work for trombone, video and quadraphonic electronics based on the Book of Revelation. Premiere: Montreal, McGill University, March 1998. The version with optional video was premiered in our Taos studio in September, 2007. Abbie Conant, trombone; Norbert Bach, digital stills; William Osborne, music and video. The work is in in six movements:

2.  PDF Score

To download the PDF score click here.  (The score is pixelated on screen, but prints beautifully.)

3. Performance Materials

To obtain the performance materials contact William Osborne at:

william@osborne-conant.org

4. An excerpt from Movement III, The Four Horsemen (Stereo)

(Good headphones strongly recommended.)

5. The Complete Video In A Stereo Reduction

(Good headphones strongly recommended.)

6.  A video of six short clips with the score 

(Good headphones strongly recommended.)

7. A Video of the complete work with the score

(Good headphones strongly recommended.)

8. An Alternative Mix of the Complete video with the Trombone Highlighted

9. Program Notes 

These are the movements and the verses from the Book of Revelation they allude to:

I. A Door Was Opened in Heaven, 
After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. (Rev. 4:1.)

II. The Sea of Glass 
And before the throne was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. (Rev. 4.6)

III. The Four Horsemen 
And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. (Rev. 9:17)

IV. As It Were A Trumpet Talking 
After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter. (Rev. 4:1.)

V. The White Beast 
And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. (Rev. 6:8)

VI. A Woman Clothed With the Sun 
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. (Rev. 12:1)

10. Commentary

Music for the End of Time explores social, psychological, and philosophical themes of eschatology.  These include:

• Numinous Experience: We were influenced by the early 20th century philosopher and theologian, Rudolf Otto, who described numinous experience as a universal aspect of religious experience in all cultures.

• Imagistic Meaning: We explore imagistic and musical meaning as a numinous approach to the unknowable, exploring how metaphors and symbols transcend the limitations of rationality and linguistic constructs.

 
• Transcendental Imagery: Transcendental experience is depicted as similar to hallucination, a kaleidoscope of uncontrollable numinous symbols the mind cannot fully grasp.

• Philosophical Perspectives: We explore the interruption of familiar states of being and the division of the world into rational and irrational realms.

• Apocalyptic Themes: We explore the apocalyptic as a search for transcendence and critique its often patriarchal and militaristic nature that follows a pattern of revelation, ecstasy, destruction, and remorse.

• Consciousness and Rationality: We specifically explore the horrors of the 20th century, the collapse of culture, and the dangers of reverting to non-rational ideals as the basis of social organization.

• Romantic Era Concepts: We explore the Romantic pathos of the artist-prophet projected into the 20th century and how it created reckless abandon that led to destruction, desolation, and lamentation.

• Language and Ineffability: We explore the metaphor of the eternal feminine as a spiritual response to the 20th century’s horrors that claimed 80 million lives.

• The Culture of New Mexico: We were influenced by the cultural atmosphere of Northern New Mexico where Hispanic farmers in isolated villages of the Sangre de Christo Mountains still embody with great humility long forgotten quasi-medieval concepts of spiritual transcendence. Their symbols, mythologies, and spiritual perspectives are little understood by the modern world, but often greatly admired for their cultural beauty and unique perspectives.