15’00”
composed 2012
composed for and premiered by Pacific Serenades in their 2012-13 concert series (Los Angeles, California)
Composer’s Note
The driving concept of my Piano Quartet No. 1: Mirror can best be summarized as witnessing the same events in both a positive or a negative light. The piece begins by evoking a chant-like melody - a neutral theme designed to convey music that is both inherently spiritual and introspective. This melody, presented initially by the strings in a melancholy manner, is interrupted by a brilliant piano cascade that immediately contrasts with the somber tune. It is at this moment that a conflict of "melancholy versus sanguine" is established. This conflict is directly derived from the principle concept of the piece.
This struggle reappears in several manners throughout the piece. The chant melody is reintroduced multiple times, both in additional melancholy treatments as well as in optimistic and uplifting guises. The harmony of the work frequently shifts from major to minor modes, often trying to reach resolutions that satisfy both modes at the same time. The rhythm and tempo of the work alternates from relative rhythmic stability to less stable, more agitated patterns. While moments of the piece thus exude a dark and unsettled mood, these moments are tempered by surrounding sections of lyric and unbridled optimism.
The form of the work, while on the surface appearing to be in a traditional three part "slow-fast-slow" structure, can also be divided into two conflicting sections. At around the half-way point of the work, the chant melody begins again - albeit in a faster tempo. From this point on, the piece works its way through a varied recapitulation, where each section is performed a second time "in reflection" - changed so that the inherent characteristic of each melancholy or sanguine section has been inverted. This process continues until reaching what would be the recapitulation of the most agitated section of the piece. From this point forward, the music is at its calmest and most serene - transforming music that at one point was an aggressive and furious agitato into a lullaby. The music ends in a calm and peaceful manner, hinting only at the slightest amount of anxiety left unresolved.
Commissioned by Pacific Serenades.