Christopher Bono's epic orchestral requiem BARDO was inspired by four fields: The Tarot System, The Tibetan Book Of The Dead, esoteric sound theories, and sacred geometry. "Bardo I: Enter the Mystic, marks the genesis of the psycho-spiritual journey. Beginning from a place of isolated desperation it culminates in "Bardo II: The End of the Oligarchs" with the destruction of the archetypal Tower, representing the social and psychological constructs of man. In "Bardo III: Enter The Void" the music guides the Fool through a series of difficult experiences as described in the Tibetan Book of the Dead. The final movement, "Bardo IV: Clouds Blooming at the Thought of Union" moves the Fool through the Sidpa Bardo, or the Bardo of transmigration where the Fool arrives at the door to his next embodiment. Each movement is preluded by ambient portals that act as passageways to the varying environments of each movement.
