The Flight of the Pigeon
For anyone who has ever played Battlefield I, The Flight of the Pigeon represents the emotional apogee of its storyline - a brief respite from the carnage on the ground as the homing pigeon glides through the fog and smoke. I have not played the game in years, but the soundtrack remains one of the most memorable for me.
Instead of smoke and destruction, I have paired this piece with a very peaceful flyover of rural southern Mexico, which looks surprisingly similar to the French countryside depicted in the game.
Performed and recorded by Trevor Kuntz, 6 December 2021
Le Matin
One of my favorite pieces by my favorite contemporary French composer, Yann Tiersen. I do not remember who created the arrangement that I play here - I memorized this arrangement ten years ago and it is so engrained in my mind that I have come to prefer it to the original, especially in the pensive pacing.
Le Matin is French for The Morning, so I have paired this recording with a ten-hour time-lapse of the sun rising over the rolling hills of Auvergne, France
Performed and recorded by Trevor Kuntz, 25 November 2021
Ondo no Funauta
Ondo no Funauta, written in 1964 by composer Hajime Okumura, based on Japanese Min'yō melodies of the early 20th century.
The background video paired with this performance is the slow descent of a cable car from Mount Misen on the Miyajima Ropeway. The cable car glides above a forest of Akamatsu and Urajirogashi trees and in the distance, you can see Hiroshima Bay and the western edge of Hiroshima.
Performed and recorded by Trevor Kuntz, 16 September 2021
Night
Beautiful composition by Italian composer, Ludovico Einaudi, arranged by Damien Lagler
The background video paired with this performance is the slow flyover of the International Space Station above the countries of Spain, France, Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia. Most prominently and towards the climax of the song, you will see northern Italy - Einaudi's home country - and the brightly shining cities of Milan and Venice.
Performed and recorded by Trevor Kuntz, 27 September 2021
Nuvole Bianche
Elegant composition by Italian composer, Ludovico Einaudi
As Nuvole Bianche is Italian for 'white clouds', I have paired this performance with a background video filmed from the nose of an aircraft as it flies into high-altitude clouds above the Chilean desert.
Performed and recorded by Trevor Kuntz, 14 September 2021
Leave No Man Behind
Dedicated to 1LT Jonam Russell, a childhood friend
One of Hans Zimmer's most powerful compositions, Leave No Man Behind is from the soundtrack of 2001 film, Black Hawk Down.
As the war in Afghanistan has come to a close and today marks the 20th anniversary of US involvement in the country, I feel that there is a certain irony to the title of this piece. To some, this piece will feel patriotic, to others, very saddening. Having lost a friend there - someone older who I had looked up to as a young man - I generally feel a strong sense of sadness when I hear or play this piece now. How does listening to this song make you feel?
I have paired this performance with a background video of the sun setting over Kabul, Afghanistan in July 2021. The city seems so peaceful and quiet, but as we know, this stillness would not last and the setting sun is an unfortunate antecedent for the darkness that would descend upon the city only weeks later.
Performed and recorded by Trevor Kuntz, 8 September 2021