vi•gnette
vin-ˈyet/
noun
1. 
a brief evocative description, account, or episode.
2. 
a small illustration or portrait photograph that fades into its background without a definite border.

Arnold’s music can not be separated from his general history.  The vignettes that appear in the links to his pieces coincide with specific periods of his life and the music he loved and/or wrote at that time.

(portrait painted by Dean Price, architect and planner at Georgetown University)

“I spent two nights at the house of a Maquis (French resistance fighter). I have no recollection of how I got there, why I was by myself, what I was doing there, and how I got back. But I recall one scene vividly. I slept in his living room in my sleeping bag. Early in the morning he woke me up, handed me a shot of ‘eau de vie’ and said: “Arnold – pour ouvrrir les yeux!” (to open your eyes)