Near Future - Nietzsche's Dionysian Spirit

As the closing track of the album "Summer/Frenzy," this song stands unique among its eleven companions by lacking a corresponding melody, serving instead as a summation and core expression of the album's intent. Notably, its arrangement diverges from the album's predominantly serene tracks, adopting a subdued yet resolute tone that reflects a courageous heart.

As the album's finale, it is intricately linked to Dionysus, the Greek god of wine corresponding to the album's theme. Within the "Vivaldi Project," each album features a special interlude: "Spring·Sunshine" offers an instrumental passage, while here, it comprises three English poetry readings. These poems narrate Dionysus' descent into the world, initiating a festival before departing at summer's end. Importantly, Dionysus transcends his mythological figure, intersecting with Nietzsche's concept of the "Dionysian spirit."

Nietzsche, a renowned 19th-century German philosopher and poet, profoundly influenced existentialism and postmodernism. Among his ideas, the Dionysian and Apollonian spirits stand out as transformative theories rooted in Greek mythology. Apollo, representing light and art, contrasts with Dionysus, embodying unrestrained freedom, alcohol, and celebration. Nietzsche derived two opposing spirits from these deities: the Apollonian emphasizes order and rationality, guiding people to curb desires and adhere to rules; the Dionysian, marked by tragedy and revelry, encourages the expression of inner desires, characterized by frenzy, excess, and instability. Ultimately, Nietzsche interpreted the Dionysian spirit as embracing life's meaninglessness and tragedy to seek genuine inner desires.

Intriguingly, Chuang-tzu's philosophy in ancient China resonates with Nietzsche's thoughts, with the song "Stops Along the Way" from the "Vivaldi Project's" first album "Spring·Sunshine" reflecting this.

As Dionysus threads through the album, the Dionysian spirit embodies its central theme, interpreted through "Close to the Future." The song's first half uses abstract imagery to explore themes of love ("Love is a smoke raised with the fuming wind" - Shakespeare), desire ("We can only choose to brush past happiness"), life's pain ("Like wandering in a forest without a path"), and helplessness in the face of tragedy. Life's journey resembles seeking flowers in a fig tree, struggling through encounters and separations without a clear destination. This resonates with many, evoking profound sorrow over life's tragedies.

Yet, after numerous struggles, the song concludes with an epiphany: "The past keeps going, the future keeps coming, there's only the present." Life may be tragic and beyond our control, but accepting its meaninglessness uncovers its true essence. Embracing tragedies like Faust may lead to personal happiness at life's end. Standing on the ground of "now," with calm and courage, we approach the future.

The lyrics narrate a concise, emotionally charged story, echoing the Dionysian melodies of the album, concluding "Summer/Frenzy" with themes of pain, calm, courage, and the future.