Your piano certainly does tell a story along with the lyrics...this is quite magnificent!

I am liking this. 4/4 works fine for me. (I can hear this in musical theatre.)

Eine schöne Balance zwischen Melancholie und Monthy Python-naher verschmitzter Humor

Beautiful musical poetry: superlative melodies and harmonies!

This song is: A GREAT hymn to listening and loving tolerance!

Great track mate, loving the way the lyrics play out.  Beautiful.

This is the lyrics version of my piano piece (https://soundcloud.com/konrad-spittelberg/the-clap-of-one-hand). (Roughly) same melody, but now with lyrics. 
If the melody left you puzzled about the title, maybe the lyrics will connect the dots. Hope you enjoy it — drop me a comment, I’m curious what you think!

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The Clap of One Hand - Lyrics
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The high priest looked the monk straight into the eyes 
“You search for wisdom, want to see through disguise 
Then hear the clap of only one hand, 
Imagine tasting the kiss of only one lip!”

The monk was puzzled, did not know what to make of this question 
His mind was racing without the slightest suggestion 
The meaning was hiding so deep 
He could as well go to sleep

And as he lay down he thought and he thought some more, 
And soon he’d snore a Monkish snore 
Deep in his dream he saw the cosmic law 
As it is and will be and has been before

To find the truth you need to see the world through different frames,
As place and motion, time and energy play Heisenberg’s games
The one single truth, the clap of one hand deceives the ancient lore

And then his dream shifted to our world
Where flags of dogma are unfurled
Where it’s en vogue to scorn the views of those 
Whose minds are differently curled

They yell their slogans convinced that it's only their kind who knows truth
They silence doubt and debate to keep everything smooth
They vote in blocs convinced others mean harm
They don't want to discuss they don’t want to disarm
They spit poison and phlegm - 
Them is us, us is them

The monk awakened quite surprisingly rested – and something like pride filled his chest 
The dream had opened his eyes and he knew the deep meaning that the koan expressed 
And so as fast as his feet could carry him he ran to the temple ground Requesting to see the high priest and as soon as he met him he told him the solution he found:

“Avoid the clap of one hand 
'Cause you can not understand 
The world in all its true colors if your mind cannot bend 

Every Current or Tide 
Must with others collide, 
A single stream is quite boring, nothing happens inside.

Seek out the voices that are not like your own – 
Don’t guard your comfort like a dog protects its chewed upon bone 
Be cautious if all of your friends do agree – 
You might discover greeater insights without cheap harmony

A field of only one crop may spark in sunlight like gold, 
But slight disease might turn these fragile monoculture to mold 
No coral alone can just survive with it’s kind – 
Reefs only thrive when hundredthousand curious creatures entwine

Don’t flatten the ground so that your pace can be faster –
'Cause if you don’t train your balance each false step means disaster 
All life, all vision needs to ripple and bend – 
Not frozen in uniformity but free to transcend”

The monk fell silent, his speech was complete - 
He wanted praisal, but the priest kept his seat. 
An awkard silence filled slowly the air, 
The priest just sat there with a calm, timeless stare

“I like your thinking—it rings wise, it rings bold, 
It has reason, it's crafted, it's gold. 
But, dear monk, there might be one subtle twist: 
There is one aspect that you seem to have missed.

You see the truth where opinions compete, 
That wholeness only grows where none is complete. 
But if no single view should stand out alone 
Then even your own view must be overthrown

You praise duality, the joining of two - 
But what if your view in itself is not true? 
What if the world isn't built as you claim? 
What if we’ll never know the rules of the game?"

Hear the clap of one hand 
Avoid the clap of one hand 
Hear the clap of one hand 
Avoid the clap of one hand 
Hear the clap of one hand 
… Reflect on the clap of one hand

The Clap of One Hand (Piano Poetry)

The piano is not just an instrument; it is a storyteller. My lifelong companion. Each piece holds the memory of a moment in time, of a period in life. Here, I share my personal journey—one miniature, one experiment, one story at a time.

I’m Konrad Spittelberg, 52 years old. Though I’ve always called Vienna my home, I have pursued various interests, building an interdisciplinary background that spans education in Latin and Greek, studies of Mathematics, Physics and Economics and a carreer in Consulting and Risk Management. Sometimes, you might also find me immersed in games of Go, Chess or D&D. 

But only when I’m not making music. Of course. Still then, all of my interests have shaped the way I think — and, in turn, the way I compose.

The instrument of my life is the piano. I play it since the age of six, the first 16 in music school with my dedicated teacher Margarete Gerlach (and also thanks to the city of Vienna to the incredible publicly funded music schools!). My piano playing saw multiyear interruptions due to travel and workload. But in recent years I’ve found the time to pursue my passion again—with renewed joy. I devote many of my evenings to developing, refining and rehearsing my piano miniatures. 

I inhale music wherever I find it. In the echoes of Renaissance motets or contemporary cluster music with my local choir, which I joined 30 years ago. In music running in the background of a fashion store which I Shazaam for later enjoyment. Or live concerts - there are so many gifted artists in the world! 

My music is a dialogue between tradition and exploration. Rooted in classical and romantic traditions, it ventures into jazz, rock, and pop.  I love to experiment—playing with unexpected tonalities, syncopated rhythms, and dynamic contrasts. My compositions often evolve through shifts in tension, rhythmic complexity, and harmonic modulations, sometimes venturing across the circle of fifths. I’m also diving deeper into the art of mastering, an area where I still have much to explore.

If my music speaks to you, I’d love for you to follow my journey. Follow along, share your thoughts—whether in appreciation or in challenge. Music, after all, is meant to be a conversation—and I’d love to hear your voice in it.
Enjoy your time with my music! 
Contact: konrad.spittelberg@gmail.com
Spotify and Youtube: https:\\konrad-spittelberg.carrd.co

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