As a sequel to an earlier piano piece, …of the lake, the submitted work continues to explore the concept of an étude from the perspective of both performance and composition. The pianistic technique and compositional design of … of the lake II is structured around the notion of a constantly changing appearance of musical harmony, rhythm, texture, and piano resonance. It resembles the surface of a lake or sea that gradually transforms itself by arriving to the shore. As the morphing of the water’s waves embraces a physical constraint imposed by the shore, sand, and stone, the music of this piano work finds meaning in a gradual transformation of wave-like musical gestures and melodic fragments within a clearly predefined tonal and metric palette.
Music cognition, research on emotion in music, and the relationship between musical works and listeners are major influences on contemporary music culture, and all of these impact my continuing formation as a composer and performer. As a composer, I seek to deepen the understanding of the psychological dimensions of music. The fascination with the perceptual qualities of tone and durational systems, together with their theoretical hierarchies within Western musical culture, has been a principal influence on musical discourse in my recent compositions. In both vocal and instrumental works, I often draw inspiration from the philosophy of sound perception and its relation to performance practice, spirituality, and the notion of inner self.
In … of the lake II, I consider the empirical claim that listeners across cultures and with different degrees of musical training hear pitches and durations as relatively close or distant from a particular tonic or important metric position within a piece of music. Taking the concept of tonal pitch and meter space as a primary mode of musical syntax and discourse, I created a number of interdependent processes that create patterns of musical tension and relaxation. While composing the piece, I was interested in capturing the wave-like perceptual attractions between different pitches, causing the listener to establish very clear melodic and metric expectations and grouping schemas. The result is an emotional plethora of evolving melodic lines and more or less fulfilled anticipations of their growth and decay.
The work is dedicated to a dear friend and colleague of mine, the pianist David Kalhous, who will premiere it at Texas Tech University School of Music, Lubbock, TX, in a concert of the 20th and 21st French music, with an emphasis on spectralism. During the event, you’ll be able to listen to the performance live on the internet on the university website.
Join Fused Muse Ensemble for an afternoon of wonderful new music (with a few old favorites thrown in) fused with paintings, video, electronic soundscapes, improvisation, desire, and wonder.
June 6 at 3:30 p.m. 114 South Genesee Street
