If you are interested in contemporary music and particularly contemporary music for piano, have a listen (and you can follow the score) to 'Klee Connections for Piano' which I composed in February 2013.
The word 'connections' in the title refers to an important aspect of the work of the painter Paul Klee. The 'objects' or configurations that can be seen in his paintings are not necessarily the ones that he put there. Often, they are created - or suggested - by Klee's superimposition, or juxtaposition, of simple forms enhanced or aided by colour. In many cases, the viewer actually connects the figures to create known objects even though in most cases, Klee knew what objects would perceived.
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In this music, similar connections arise but in two ways: in the first part of the piece - after a brief florid introduction - large scale rhythmic structures allied to repeated chord sequences are layered on on top of the other. It is all but impossible to discern the separate layers, or the original chord sequences, due to the 'monochrome' nature of the piano. Apart from a few instances of brief motifs that are derived from the interplay of these layers, any connections that are made are in the mind of the listener.
In the second part (you won't miss it), everything changes: this time I make the choices and decisions about how the elements of the same layers of rhythm and harmony (this time backwards) should be connected, and the brutal, percussive staccato, gives way to a more lyrical legato, demonstrating the immense expressive range of the piano.
The original rhythmic structure and chord sequence are stated 'pianissimo', 'lontano', just before the flourish that announces the work's coda, in which short, 'pianissimo', chords and distant sororities fade to silence. The piece doesn't end, in fact, until several seconds of silence have passed.
The piece is written in a post-tonal idiom but it has little to do with twelve-tone or serial music despite the 'pointillist' impression of the first part.
This is a digital realisation which I made by exporting each line of the score from Sibelius as MIDI, and then mixing in 'Reaper' using a sampled Steinway virtual piano.
One or two real, human pianists have shown interest in this work, but until one of them actually performs it, this is what we have, but I must say that I took great care to articulate and balance things the way I would like a real player to do.
Thanks for listening!
You can download a score free of charge here: robertlennonmu...
#contemporarypianomusic #robertlennon #kleeconnections
7 окт 2024
