Using a New Type of Music Composition, the Composer Crafts a Piano Drama in Three Acts
What is Garrett Fisher’s dream world? With this intriguing question, he invites audiences into Cathedral Woods Blueprints, a three-act piano drama inspired by his childhood summers in Maine and the transformative magic of its cathedral-like forests.
Fisher plays with the metaphor of seasonal change, revealing that we must journey through various scents, flavors, temperatures, and colors to access his visionary realm. There is time to retreat, to refuel, and to renew. The path, however, is anything but conventional.
Like an engineer rebuilding an old house, Fisher reimagines classical music, tearing down its traditional walls using a special technique for composing: blueprints. This approach outlines a theme, a tone, or an idea – not a fully scripted performance – offering the pianist the freedom to improvise while remaining faithful to the essence of the music. This method creates a balanced space for expression, where the musician’s talent, self-control, and intuition shine without restriction. Yet this fluidity is intentional, reflecting the natural chaos and beauty of transitions.
As a musical architect, Fisher introduces a new element to his blueprint universe: the “shadow.” This concept, a reinterpretation of classical pieces, weaves seamlessly into the performance. The interplay between blueprints and shadows brings dynamism to Cathedral Woods Blueprints, balancing intensity with delicacy.
“The shadows—evocative in their reinterpretation of classical works—are gently subsumed into a larger vision, serving as fragments within an expansive, transformative framework,” explains Fisher.
Each act introduces a shadow, creating a richly textured dialogue between Fisher’s contemporary vision and the works of Schubert, Grieg, and Rachmaninoff. These reinterpretations of classical compositions become dynamic elements in his tapestry, blending past and present into a smooth narrative and transforming the familiar pieces into something fresh.
The first act draws from Franz Schubert’s unfinished Piano Sonata in F-sharp minor, D. 571: I Allegro moderato. Here, Fisher takes on the role of co-composer, expanding what Schubert might have written beyond the known bars. Fisher's haunting continuation goes deep into the emotional terrain creating a retreat moment based on romanticism and subtlety.
Act two takes flight with Edvard Grieg’s Lyric Pieces, Op. 43, No. 1: “The Butterfly.” During the performance, Fisher releases the butterfly from its cocoon, propelling it into a vivid, frenzied flight, following an extended metamorphosis. The child who once explored the Maine woods emerges, guiding the audience into a sacred, transformative space where music heals and refuels life. With fluttering melodies, this act showcases the composer’s intensity and gentler, more reflective side.
The final act delivers dramatic tension under the shadow of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Etude-Tableau in A minor, Op. 39, No. 2: “The Sea and the Seagull.” This conclusion mirrors the duality of nature – its serenity and turbulence. Fisher’s piano captures the graceful flight of the seagull above the waves and the thunderous energy of an approaching king tide. To get the feeling, the audience is urged to follow the tension, dive into the depths of this duality, and experience its beauty and tempestuousness. The renewal is apotheotic.
Fisher carries all the seasons within him. His art mixes the order of things. The seasons flow unpredictably; spring might follow winter or summer might rise after autumn. Yet this fluidity is intentional, reflecting the natural chaos and beauty of transitions.
Garrett Fisher’s dream world is steeped in mystery and freedom, inviting us to embrace change as a natural process of life. The drama and energy driving his performance are tempered by moments of softness and melancholy, creating a balance that resonates deeply. Seattle now boasts an artist at the start of a bold new journey, and there is much more to explore beyond the Cathedral Woods Blueprints.
The Cathedral Woods Blueprints performance took place on November 17th in an intimate afternoon concert setting, hosted at the residence of Sabrina Seward and Nathan Rosenbaum, in Madrona.
A journalist and public relations consultant, Wan Higginbotham began his career in 2004 as a TV reporter, producer, and editor in São Luís (MA), Brazil. Over the years, he has established himself as an independent writer, contributing articles on culture, communication, and human rights. With 14 years of experience in public relations, Wan has held roles ranging from communication assistant to communication manager within various government agencies across Brazil. A passionate advocate for the arts, Wan is now based in Seattle, immersing himself in the city’s vibrant cultural scene. He frequently attends the Seattle Symphony, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Opera, and numerous other artistic events.
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