AMARGOSA TRIPTYCH by materialssoundmusic

AMARGOSA TRIPTYCH (2015)
windows of sand
windows of darkness
windows of air
for Piano
by Marco Buongiorno Nardelli

I have come to lose myself in the wide immensity and know my littleness.
I have come to lie in the lap of my mother and be comforted.
I am alone but not alone – I am with myself.
My soul is my companion above all companions.
Charles Erskine Scott Wood, The Poet in the Desert (1915).

Program notes
Amargosa Triptych was inspired by a chance visit to the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel in Death Valley Junction, CA, where "for more than 40 years, Marta Becket has lived and shared her art and dreams with those fortunate enough to find this wonderful and magical place". In this composition I explore the relationship among the nature of the desert, the nature of our memories and the nature of art. The piece is scored for prepared piano and utilizes a variety of extended techniques to convey all the contrasting feelings (awe, excitement, sadness, solitude, fulfillment, nostalgia, reminiscence, empowerment, helplessness) that I felt there. Amargosa Triptych is dedicated to Marta Becket and Jenna McClintock, who now carries on Marta's mission to make this world a better place by dancing on our own dreams.