Novella for Piano
For solo piano, about 11’15”
About the Music
Novella is a three-movement work for solo piano, written for and dedicated to Steve Beck, with gratitude for his sensitive interpretation of contemporary music. As indicated by its title, the piece is narrative in nature, but it does not represent a literal story. Rather, the three movements, which are performed without pause, create a sense of constant development in which feelings of intense passion combine with anxiety, excitement, and repose.
Harmonically, it features a mixture of traditional and modern harmonies, and in this is inspired by the work of the artist Robin Hextrum, who juxtaposes historical styles of representational painting with more contemporary abstraction. I concur with Charles Ives when he argues, “Why tonality as such should be thrown out for good I can’t see. Why it should always be present I can’t see. It depends, it seems to me. . . on what one is trying to do, and on the state of the mind, the time of day or other accidents of life” (Essays before a Sonata). After writing the piece, I realized that G seems to be the global tonal center, with an excursion to the submediant E in the second movement. Yet, this tonality is a kind of suspension bridge, with points affixed at either end and a wide swath of territory covered between.
LKN
| Score sample | Digital Edition PDF – $20.00 |