Daniel Perlongo

Piano Solo

Composer's Note:
Gallery Set for piano includes 8 pieces whose titles were chosen from prints of Joan Miro (1893-1983). Miro was born in Barcelona and moved to Paris in 1920, where, under the influence of surrealist poets and writers, he evolved his mature style. His images often have a whimsical or humorous quality, playfully distorted animal forms, twisted organic shapes, and odd geometric constructions. He uses a limited range of bright colors, especially blue, red, yellow, green, and black. The composer writes: "I was attracted to the simple shapes, colors, and economy of means he uses in his expression; and I felt a strong association with what I was doing at the time in my composition. I chose prints that could be associated with each of the pieces, mirroring the musical soundscape." Gallery Set was premiered by Susan Wheatley in 2005 at the College Music Society International Conference in Madrid, Spain, and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria.