Street dancer. Costume design, 1917
Fuente: https://www.wikiart.org/
Mathematically, it’s a polygon with three sides and three angles that add up to 180 degrees.
The one that caught my curiosity this week is much more interesting.
Let me explain.
I come from a musical family. At home here in Calgary, I have our traditional Venezuelan cuatro, guitar, piano, ukulele, marimba, bongos, maracas, drumsticks, and… before I run out of breath: triangle.
It’s a metal percussion instrument consisting of a triangular steel rod with an opening, which is struck with a stick to produce a sharp and characteristic note.
And this would be the end of the topic, if it weren’t for the fact that, precisely because of its simplicity (both in design and sound), and I would even say its musical humility, it made me delve deeper.
It’s said that its origin is Turkish and that it was used by Beethoven, Mozart, and Haydn, among others, to evoke exotic sounds in certain compositions.
Another interesting fact is that it’s an “idiophone,” meaning it produces sound through the vibration of its own body, without using strings, membranes, or air columns.
But the most impressive thing about this simple yet complex instrument is its remarkable projection, allowing it to be heard above the orchestra.
You’ll now understand that, after my research, the stage was set for an enlightening epiphany.
It’s not necessary to be the loudest, the conductor of a grand global orchestra, the soloist, or the protagonist of anything, all of whom are abundant, and quickly become addicted to what they call the relentless applause.
Sometimes a hidden, precise note, a humble voice, behind the scenes, at the right moment, can project itself above the great existential noise and leave us with our bodies and souls vibrating.
I think many of us, me included, could benefit from lessons by the modest triangle. I’m going to practice daily, to see if I can learn something.
– Dimmmmm…
James Barrie, author of Peter Pan, was right when he said that “life is a long lesson in humility.”
