published on
Prelude (0:00)
Gymnopédie (0:35)
Burlesque (3:19)
White Echoes, Cold Shadows (4:49)
Piano Grunge (7:54)
Reverie (9:34)
Heptaphilia (11:00)
"Seven Miniatures for Piano" is a collection of seven short piano pieces all connected by the same pitch material, that is, the pitch classes F-sharp, G-sharp, A, B, C, E-flat, and F-natural. Though based upon this same set of pitch classes and its derivations, all seven miniatures present vastly different sound-worlds, each having a character of its own. Think of all seven pieces as being very different individuals which are somewhat related by the same DNA. Each of these seven pieces may be performed independently, or as part of the entire set.
The first of the miniatures, "Prelude", is a playful yet structurally-rigorous piece. Though sounding improvisatory and whimsical, its structure is tight and strictly ordered. The "Gymnopédie" draws upon the spirit of Satie’s Three Gymnopédies, but is a unique product of a wholly different musical language. The pensive mood of this piece stands in stark contrast to the energy of the "Burlesque", which is somewhat Bartokian in character. The piece with the most programmatic title of the set, "White Echoes, Cold Shadows," conveys the notions of timelessness and emptiness in a surrealist vein. "Piano Grunge" is a concert piano piece that contains influences from grunge rock music. "Reverie" takes one on a dreamy sound journey, in a lyrical songlike fashion. The last of the set, "Heptaphilia", is a tribute to the number seven, and various allusions to this number are playfully peppered throughout the piece.
Piano: Kevin Wang
Recorded at the premiere performance on 27 March 2014 at the Composers' Forum Concert in Hatch Recital Hall, Eastman Theatre, Rochester, New York.
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This piece has been included in the Repertory of the CARL VON OSSIETZKY COMPOSITION COMPETITION/REPERTOIRE.
- Genre
- Piano