Celebration is in four movements which can be roughly described as animated, intense, abstract, and jazzy. Balance starts simply with short rocking gestures. These build up to a bass vamp overlaid with a right hand improvisation, and finally culminate in large chords and racing scales.  The end the piece slows to reminders of the simple rocking of the opening. The Innocence of the second movement is created by two hands moving naively in dyads to form tentative chords.  A fall from innocence plunges the music into grinding motion over an agitated low bass line.  A progression from the opening chords attempts to reclaim the innocence.  The struggle continues, before finally opening out into innocent dyads again. The music in Reverie, is ethereal.  Chords surround snatches of melodic material in the middle range which turn into closely voiced chords. The beginning is then repeated.

Christopher Oldfather, piano; ACA festival 2010

An ancient melody unfolds above long-held pedal tones, and conveys the otherworldly sense of calm and conviction of the gregorian chant upon which the work is based.

The work is divided into four verses, performed without a break, corresponding to the four sections of the original chant and was written in the spirit of the plainsong settings for organ of the 17th Century German composer, Samuel Scheidt.

"The entire piece is to be performed very freely, very softly, and very smoothly," the composer directs.

3rd verse; Brian Schober, organist

Six Preludes for Solo Piano, 2002-07. Written for Curt Cacioppo.

I. Walking ("Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you" John 12:35b)
II. Wind Blowing
III.Fly Buzzing, Ant Running
IV. Walking (Return)
V. Bird Chirping, Rustling Leaf
VI. Wind Stopping

Recording, CD or download available here.

Falko Steinbach, piano

• Commissioned by Laurel Zucker  
•  “a spell of introspective intensity . . . wonderfully concise and effective . . . [made its] points with quiet power.”  (Cecelia Porter, The Washington Post)

FroomWhistling_WindExcerpt.mp3

portrait of Isadora Duncan;

Art & Isadora excerpt (Composer: Michael Delliara) Cantori New York