Barely; Wholly

Composer's Note:

To Edith Auner and Thomas Stumpf.

For me, writing for two pianos presents the challenge of ‘justifying’ the need for two keyboards, and considering the marked distinction between this medium and piano duet (one piano, four hands [two players]). Two-piano writing feels like its own beast!

How fortunate I have been to work with Edie and Thomas on previous projects (both four-hand piano and two pianos). With these two marvelous pianists and friends in mind, I’ve tried to contribute different things with each piece—things that somehow cast an unusual light on both genres.

With Barely; Wholly, I set out to explore the smallest, most microscopic vulnerabilities possible contrasted with what I hope will sound like large, maximally capacious moves for the two-piano medium. The piece starts with piano 1 right hand alone (ppp; “with right-hand finger-weight only”; this section is published singly as a solo, and functions as an etude in delicate, sotto voce playing), opens up to use "all" resources (twenty fingers, I guess you could say—a grand, big-space “chorale”), moves back to piano 2 left hand only (gnarlier; a gritty polarity to the right-hand opening), and ends delicately (I think) with both pianos participating. The ending passage points out the range of simultaneous articulations (pedaled or non-pedaled sounds) possible in the same registral place when two independent pianos operate separately in pursuit of the same goal.

Finally, I aspire to creating a kind of “at risk” quality through this music, entering a provisional pianistic sound-space that posits but doesn’t conclude, guesses but doesn’t know, encounters and perhaps vanquishes trouble yet remains tender, fragile.

My heartfelt thanks to Edith Auner and Thomas Stumpf for their devoted care in premiering this work.