Here's the fascinating story behind how composers have created a musical exploration of the Tarot, specifically the major arcana.
Tarot cards have been around since 1450 and were originally used by Italian fortune tellers called cartomanti. They are used to tell stories and predict the future.
Musicians and composers have drawn inspiration from the Tarot as a framework for their musical compositions. Although the full deck contains 78 cards, the musical compositions that I found specifically focus on the 22 Major Arcana of the Tarot deck.
In this article we will explore how composers have represented the Major Arcana from the Tarot deck in music, often in fascinating ways. These works approach the mystical universe of the Tarot de Marseille from a unique perspective, expressing its symbolism through music.
What Are The Major Arcana From The Tarot Cards Anyway?
There are 22 Major Arcana of the Tarot deck, sometimes referred to as the Tarot de Marseille. As you will see, the evocative imagery on the Tarot decks is ample inspiration for musicians and composers alike.
The first half of Tarot Cards consists of human characters and deities. First up is the quick and witty Juggler. Next we move to the more serious and imposing figures of the Emperor and the Pope.
The middle characters of Tarot Cards are of a more dark and serious nature. The characters that we find in the middle include the Hermit and the Hanged Man. In Temperance, we can see the sun shining on the Earth with flowing waters below. The Angel is not male or female and is winged, with one foot in water and the other on land.
The latter half of Tarot cards transitions from characters to objects. You will hear the celestial objects like the moon and the star. The eight pointed, shining star also has the image of a naked female.
Representing Tarot Cards With Music
Here are some compositions that represent the Tarot through musical means, by re-imagining its symbolism through audible expression.
Tarot by Réjean Paquin
Released in 2012, this album by French Canadian composer Réjean Paquin expressively envokes the entire Tarot through a New-Age lens. Hailing from Québec, Paquin's album runs through the entire Tarot. It contains no lyrics and the music style ranges from cinematic to ambient.
The entire album makes continual use of flute-like and otherworldy sounding instruments. Many times, I thought of a water wheel, where the water cascades down along the cogs and into the pool below.
I liked the representation of the Emperor as a warlord, with the addition of a radio soundtrack. Here, the Emperor is clearly represented as a symbol of worldly might, who rules over his subjects with an iron fist. After the inevitable climax the piece fades away into the distance and the repeated patter heard again which reminds us of the beginning of the piece.
Tarot by Dark Moor
This concept album does not contain the full Major Arcana, but rather 11 tracks with most of them carrying titles of the Major Arcana. The first track, which is entitled The Magician (represented by the Juggler in the Tarot Card deck) has a very cinematic sound and would be perfect as an introduction to a film or video game. In Temperance you will hear the shining sun and flowing water, interrupted in the middle by the arrival of the angel.
I particularly the second track, Chariot, with the drive and flashy guitar solo. Usually depicted on the card as a powerful, princely figure, it was easy to imagine him sitting in a large chariot, pulled usually by two sphinxes or horses.
This piece starts off with some strong power chords, showing how the Chariot announces the arrival of a victorious leader. The strummed chords are quickly followed by a flowing foreign-sounding scale that rises up and down the middle register.
Tarot Cards for Classical Guitar by Brett Vachon
Tarot Cards is a suite for Classical Guitar which I originally started composing back in 2015. However, I only started serious work on the suite in 2017. I finished composing the entire suite and recorded the whole work in 2019.
With this suite for solo classical guitar, I have created an evocative work that will remind you of a voyage you once took through a far away country. You will hear foreign sounding melodies blending pleasingly with traditional harmonies. In these compositions I use the full gamut of sounds that are playable with the Classical Guitar. You will hear techniques ranging from percussive guitar to the flute-like sounds of guitar harmonics.
Stream Or Download Tarot Cards Here
In the Chariot, tried to give this composition an exotic Middle Eastern feel by tuning the first string of the guitar a quarter tone flat. In my mind this evokes the Arabic scales or "maqam" which are commonly found in music all over Northern Africa and even in Turkey.
The Hanged Man by Brett Vachon
Already part of the Tarot cards suite for guitar, I wanted to depict the Hanged Man twice. Although the piece appears originally played on classical guitar, I created a version with steel string guitar because this type of guitar is most often used when playing DADGAD music. The difference being that the steel string guitar offers a brighter sound than the softer or gentler sound of the classical guitar.
DADGAD is a type of guitar tuning which is different from standard tuning, or EADGBE. This type of tuning is very popular in Celtic music where guitarists favour the use of open strings.
Unfortunately, I don't find it sounds particularly Celtic, somewhat to my disappointment. But I am happy with how it turned out altogether and I find it makes an excellent addition to the Tarot Cards suite.
Tarot: Major Arcana by Metamorphosis Syndrome
Released in 2023 by Evgeniy Vyacheslavovich Kruchinin, this electronic album contains 22 tracks covering all the Major Arcana from the Tarot deck.
In this album I could hear a direct correlation between The Emperor and the Star. This is not a coincidence as The Emperor is occasionally represented as wearing, in addition to his personal insignia, the stars of the constellation of Leo on his chest or shoulders.
When listening to this concept album, a thought began to form in my mind: The Emperor commands authority, power, and control. The Emperor is the personification of the masculine archetype. But with the figure of The Emperor, it also became clear to me that he is a benevolent and wise leader who does not use this power for selfish reasons.
Great Plain & North: Magic Tarot by Mario Beas
Spanish artist Mario Beas Aliaño cleverly prefaced each Tarot Card in his album by a short, descriptive statement, something I never thought to do. The entire album has a somewhat jazzy feel throughout.
Particularly interesting to me was The Lovers, a piece begins quietly with plucked notes which expand into a flowing wave from the bottom of the guitar to the top. Retrospectively, the introduction gives you hints at the themes that will be repeated again later on in the album. I could easily imagine the lovers continuing to turn faster as the energy continues to flow into it.
I was interested in the imagery that goes with the Sun. This lead me to think of hot countries and the music that represents these hot, sunny climates. Since the guitar is Spanish in origin, I started daydreaming of Andalusia and the Flamenco tradition. That was it: the Sun had to make the listener think of hot and sunny Spain.
One of the characteristic dance rhythms of Flamenco is the Bulerias. This lively dance is unique in that the placement of the accents in a spot that is not in the usual location for Western occidental music.
Major Arcana by Speedy Ortiz
This concept album released in 2013 aptly begins featuring the mysterious sound of guitar harmonics. Since this card is rather mysterious, the piece starts with airy flute-like guitar harmonics and the edgy sound of an augmented chord. After the introduction, the piece progress into the flowing melody before quickly being interrupted once again by the harmonics.
The music reflects this in being quite conservative, almost naive and shrinking away from the harsh sounds of dissonance. The piece starts with the guitar playing rapid flowing arpeggios in a bright sounding key.
Suddenly the music slows; an Angel appears. Dramatic plucked chords sound as we see the Angel more clearly. We notice that this Angel has come to show us balance and eternity.
The pace of the music gradually picks up and becomes more confident as we understand the message proclaimed by the Angel. The Angel will show us the way for balance and eternity. Finally the Angel departs. We once again hear the fast rustling from the guitar but the piece quickly draws to a close on a final note.
