Dances in Incendiary Keys:
Piano Quintet (2011)
I. Overture – Dances in Incendiary Keys
II. Lament – Eye of God – Recitative
III. Raging Bull
Instrumentation: 2 violins, viola, cello, piano
Duration: 19 minutes
Premiere: May 18, 2011
Musicians: Lisa Kaplan (eighth blackbird), Pacifica SQ
Program Note:
Perhaps like any composer writing for this particular constellation of instruments, I struggled with a fundamental question: how to treat the piano as, on the one hand, a collaborative member of the quintet and, on the other hand, a robust presence that will inevitably stand out. Whether accompanying the string quartet or being accompanied by it, the timbral otherness of the piano in this setting will inevitably distinguish its sonority. This contrast is amplified by the fact that a quartet of string instruments (more so, I think, than a duo or trio of them) tends towards a certain aural coherence, one that challenges a composer’s efforts to “blend in” the piano with the ensemble. Perhaps this accounts, in part, for why several composers of piano quintets in the past (Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, and Dvorak to name an important few proponents of the genre) seem to capitalize on the piano’s potential as a soloist in these works, at times expanding the conventions of chamber music by demanding an almost concerto-like virtuosity from the pianist. In the end, I did find it necessary to write an extensive piano part that places considerable demands on the technical and musical resources of the performer. Moreover, I think the work presents a dynamic—and hopefully dramatic—dialogue between the pianist and the members of the quartet, each of whom is spotlighted as a soloist at various times in the piece.
DANCES IN INCENDIARY KEYS: PIANO QUINTET
I. Dances in Incendiary Keys
II. Lament - Eye of God - Recitative
III. Raging Bull
On the subject of drama, I found it useful to view at least one aspect of this work from a theatrical (or, if you like, operatic) perspective. Prominently featured in the piece is what I would describe as a “whirling” motive, rapid alternations of notes within a cluster of semitones. First presented by the cello near the beginning, the motive resurfaces—in various instruments and registers, at different tempi, and with assorted styles of inflection—over the course of the work. In this way, the listener might like to think of this motive as a narrative presence, emerging at points of structural transition, helping to articulate the form of the piece. Furthermore, for me, this “running thread” holds together the various episodes suggested by the movement titles. Almost like scenes in an opera, the sections of this piece present an eclectic palette of characters, styles, and references. Among these, I should mention in particular the influence of Latin American, as well as Spanish, dance music in the third movement.
Dances in Incendiary Keys: Piano Quintet was premiered on May 18, 2011, at a concert of Contempo’s Tomorrow’s Music Today series. It was performed and recorded by eighth blackbird’s pianist Lisa Kaplan and The Pacifica String Quartet, the five musicians to whom this work is dedicated.
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