Piano Concerto: Dreamscapes
Work Overview
Instrumentation: piano solo; 1-1-1-1; 1-1-1; 2 perc; strings
Commission: Metropolis Ensemble through the DeRosa Family Fund
Premiere: Nov. 19th and 20th, 2009; Le Poisson Rouge, New York, NY; Jenny Lin, piano, Metropolis Ensemble with Andrew Cyr, conductor
Duration: 25 minutes
Program Note
Prologue: Mesmerizing Birdsongs
First Vignette: Savage and Brutal
Second Vignette: Jazzy but Steady
Third Vignette: Sweetly Dreamful but with Ghostly Undertones
Fourth Vignette: Rude Awakenings; Schizophrenic Dreamscapes
Postlude: Calm and Tranquil
(Performed without pause)
The sights and sounds of Bali haunt my dreams. The mist covering lush rice paddies at dawn, a symphony of birds chirping, and one fateful dewy morning in Bali, Indonesia when I visited Goa Gajah – the Elephant Cave Temple. That early summer morning, I descended a few flights of steep steps carved out of stone and found myself in the middle of a jungle with a natural waterfall and lotus ponds. Barefoot, in silence, I absorbed the force of my surroundings finding myself in the state of a powerful spiritual awakening. I felt I had become one with nature. The myriad encounters of Bali and the unknowable recesses of my own mind resolved into a tranquil state of balance.
This piano concerto is inspired by my experiences in Bali. Its themes pay homage to portions of the gamelan gong kebyar-style work Ujan Mas, and a composition for legong dance. To anyone familiar with the music of the Ubud region of Bali, the spiky, syncopated rhythms, sudden tempo changes, and exotic scales in the concerto may seem familiar. Although I have quoted from traditional Balinese sources, I am not recreating traditional works. I have internalized the shimmering harmonies and interlocking rhythms of Balinese traditions to unleash an original process; traditional sources act as catalysts for my voice emerging from the shifting kaleidoscope of my own multicultural identity.
The work is a series of “Vignettes” that are all to be played without pause. The concerto is meant as a single movement work that has many different scenes. It begins with selected musicians in the audience blowing bird whistles that were purchased for the premiere from a street vendor in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The prologue gradually builds into the First Vignette, fast and relentless with gamelan-like interlocking rhythms. The Second Vignette takes my earlier solo prepared piano work Kotekan, written for pianist Jenny Lin, and greatly expands on it. The Third Vignette brings a temporary relief from the fast tempi of the first two, and presents a beautiful singing part for the piano. Around the solo, the orchestra weaves in and out with dream-like chords and whispers. The Fourth Vignette sounds suddenly and recaps previously heard themes and musical material. The postlude brings a calm ending, but includes some surprise sonorities at the very end of the score.
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This work can be requested for purchase or rental, pending availability. Please contact Bill Holab Music for complete details or a rental quote.
Listen to the Album
Entire work released 2012 by Metropolis Ensemble on the Naxos Canada Label.
Errata List
Artists are welcome to contribute any errors or notes for this work on our collaborative errata list.