Harrie Janssen

Voyage au Centre de la Terre

This composition was based on the world-famous novel by the French author Jules Verne. This novel describes the attempt to reach the centre of the earth. The descent of the crater of the volcano called Snaeffels, situated in Iceland, marks thebeginning of this voyage to the sublunary world.
The German geologist, professor Lidenbrock, is accompanied on this trip by his nephew Axel and an Icelandic guide named Hans. The last mentioned will be helpful in many occasions.

Dark colors & mist

The composer tried in this single work to give a musical expression to various significant moments from this novel. In the introduction he sketches an image of the dismal ambience on the island by using dark colors. Risingfragments of mist reveal the flanks of the monumental mountain Scataris. The composer tries to catch this image in a majestic and broad chorale.

Away from Iceland

Subsequently the ostinato rhythmicity and virtuosity representthe hectic descent of the crater of the volcano. The party descends ever more and more and travels south, away from Iceland. On the way, they see all kinds of rock formations, fossils and minerals. At a depth of thirty hours walking distance, atabout 150 kilometers below the surface, they reach a sub terrestrial sea which is called the Lidenbrock sea.

Genuine eruption of sounds

Strange electric manifestations and unpredictable weather conditions accompany thissingular phenomenon. An orchestral tutti-episode expresses this impression musically. On a make-shift raft, the party continues its voyage, heading to the south coast of this huge sea. Once ashore, an enormous rock obstructs the passage. The blowingup of this obstacle unleashes a genuine eruption of sounds in the orchestration.

Spat out by the volcano

But the explosion has an unforeseen side effect. The sea - travelers and raft included - is sucked upwards into a dark hole. Again, our heroes are accompanied on their involuntary voyage, while left to fend for themselves, by an ever increasing ostinato rhythmicity.

Before an irruption can destroy the raft, the threesome manages to escape and climb up through acave towards the daylight. They seem to be spat out by the Stromboli volcano on the island of Sicily, far from home.
The composition ends with triumphant sounds that represent the scientific triumph of these adventurers.