PROGRAM NOTES:

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This music was originally conceived as a mysterious cadenza in the slow movement of my Piano Concerto. Equally mysterious, the cadenza sort of “came to me” in one or two afternoons sitting at the piano. That never happens. In the piano version, resonance and heavy pedal use is a key factor – melody creates chords and the natural decay of the instrument creates different shapes and durations.

 

The piano can sound an almost unlimited number of notes at once, but it cannot crescendo on a single note. In this version, I had a lot of fun creating a kind of “magic” piano pedal effect, where the “resonance” from melodic gestures could crescendo or shift. It can behave in odd ways. It’s a piece for chamber ensemble, inspired by the piano, but also very much not a piano piece. I hope you enjoy.