“Exquisite Corpse” is the debut album from Roxanna Walitzki. We featured her in our July 2016 release, Issue #38 Vol. 2.
Roxanna Walitzki, a classical music artist, shares information about her debut release “Exquisite Corpse” and shows off her practical side with our fun phobia/superstition related Q&A.
Gothesque Magazine: Tell me more about your debut album? How did the name of the album “Exquisite Corpse” originate? What does the name mean to you?
Roxanna Walitzki: Exquisite Corpse revolves around the awe and beauty inherent in death. The cycle of death and new beginnings is endlessly fascinating to me, and the album captures some of this depth and mystery. Whenever something dies in nature, something new also arises. While death can be infinitely sad, there is also something exquisite about the never-ending cycle that fuels life.
The initial concept for the album came from the French surrealist parlor game cadavre exquis, in which visual artists would sequentially assemble a composition following specific rules. My sister, Redd, and I decided to play a version of this game together. We wanted the art and music we made to flow seamlessly into each other and started with a common inspiration that spoke to both of us. As we created Exquisite Corpse, we let each other’s aesthetic choices influence our own work. Her painted figures, which have my likeness, capture the emotion of the music, and the choices I made while recording and arranging these six songs reflect the ethereal yet macabre quality of her paintings.
We began from the shared inspiration of the myth of Chloris, Goddess of Flowers, who happens upon the dead body of a nymph while walking in a forest. In the myth, Chloris is moved by the innocent creature’s fate and decides to transform her into a flower so she can live again. This version of rebirth spoke to both of us. Redd’s paintings show decay, as well as new growth, seamlessly intertwined, and my arrangements of these songs, which also textually relate to the story, breathe new life into the compositions through reinvention.
Gothesque Magazine: What do you hope listeners feel and learn from your music?
Roxanna Walitzki: My hope is that this music inspires some sort of feeling in listeners, whatever that might look like. Our reactions to music are so personal and unique that I can’t possibly predict what others might feel. I do hope, though, that my intention of creating something that reaches beyond traditional classical music comes across, and that it sparks an interest in this style of music.
Gothesque Magazine: How long have you been working on this debut?
Roxanna Walitzki: Working on this album was at the center of my life for a little over a year. I performed earlier versions of the six songs at Redd’s gallery opening in October 2015 and continued to work on perfecting my interpretations for several months after. It has felt like a long process at times, from playing the piano parts, tracking the vocals, layering textures upon textures, designing soundscapes, to finally fine-tuning all of these different musical forces – but, now that it is all completed, I don’t regret a moment that went into creating it all.
Gothesque Magazine: How long have you been in the music industry, and what keeps you in it?
Roxanna Walitzki: The thing that keeps me making music is the fact that I have an overwhelming love for classical repertoire, but also sense that something needs to happen in order to keep it alive and relevant. I want to find ways to open others’ ears to it by making it something new. It’s this hope and passion that keeps me pushing onwards, even when it feels like a never-ending quest.
It’s tricky to say exactly how long I’ve been in the music industry because there isn’t a clear moment of entry. Exquisite Corpse is the first album I have ever created, so in one way it feels like the first big step into the industry. On the other hand, I feel like I have been an active member of that same industry for the last decade. While obtaining my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Classical Voice, I performed professionally in recitals and opera productions, and over the last few years, I have focused my energies on reaching beyond the traditional performance of classical music. Every step along this journey has made me feel like I am more and more becoming a member of the music industry, but it has never felt like an arrival or point of completion because my vision for what I want to do with music continues to change and grow.
Gothesque Magazine: If you were not creating music, what would you be doing?
Roxanna Walitzki: There isn’t anything else that I could easily picture myself doing as fully or passionately as music. Working in music professionally, especially in a niche field like contemporary classical music, is only a path you choose if it feels like something you can’t not do. I can’t see anything else having this kind of hold on me. That said, I do have a lot of other artistic outlets, like photography and fashion/costuming, but these have always felt more like smaller parts of a larger whole, centered around music.
Gothesque Magazine: We are featuring you in our Phobias and Superstitions issues. Do you suffer at all from any of the top 10 Phobias? Do you suffer at all from any of the top 10 phobias (Arachnophobia, Ophidiophobia, Acrophobia, Agoraphobia, Cynophobia, Astraphobia, Claustrophobia, Mysophobia, Aerophobia & Trypophobia)?
Roxanna Walitzki: More than any specific phobias, I sometimes suffer from existential panic. It doesn’t strike that often, but the primal fear of death can creep up on me in the most innocuous and random settings, waiting in line at the grocery store, as a passenger in a car, or while trying to fall asleep come to mind. I think the common denominator is realizing that I am not in full control. This realization can trigger the latent thought in me that death is also beyond my control, and suddenly it feels like my very existence hinges on practically nothing. It’s terrifying when it does take hold, but I also find it beautiful. It reminds me of how precious and fleeting life is, and brings into sharper focus the things that are important to me.
Gothesque Magazine: Is there anything you were afraid of as a child that you no longer fear? And vice versa?
Roxanna Walitzki: I have always been a reasonably cautious but curious individual, so I haven’t noticed a huge difference between myself as an adult versus as a child. I try to strike a balance between approaching life with a healthy dose of fear and apprehension, and throwing caution to the wind for the sake of experience. For instance, I am somewhat afraid of heights, but if there’s the perfect spot for a photo shoot at the end of a steep climb, I’ll almost always conquer my fears and go for it. I think I’ve always been that way – risking certain dangers for art.
Gothesque Magazine: Is there a superstition that your parents tried to instill in you, but to you, was just too silly?
Roxanna Walitzki: My parents are pretty practical people – my father is a German physicist – so true superstitions didn’t play an active role in my upbringing. However, our parents did instill a fun and healthy sense of wonder in my sister and I, which fueled our imaginations. After telling us magical stories from German folklore, Redd and I would build elaborate dress-up costumes and search for faeries and gnomes in the forest near our Bavarian home. After our missions were completed, we would draw pictures or sing little songs about the make-believe beings we pretended we saw. Not superstition per se, but a fun bending of reality that fed into our creative minds and outlets!
Gothesque Magazine: Are you superstitious? Are there any superstitions you partake in, such as breaking the wishbone or picking up a penny for good luck?
Roxanna Walitzki: I am not superstitious, but sometimes I do take opportunities to make a little wish here and there – I figure it can’t do any harm to put into words (even if just in my mind) the things that I hope and wish for, from time to time.
Gothesque Magazine: When performing, what is one thing you must always have with you?
Roxanna Walitzki: A water bottle! That’s a very practical answer, but it is the most crucial thing as a singer.
