T H R E E   B Y   T H R E E (2009)

For Solo Piano

Awarded a 2011 ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award

Composed for Mei Rui

 

Program Note:

"Three by Three" (2009) is a set of three pieces for piano, each roughly three minutes in duration. The first movement, "I. Moto perpetuo, Presto,” opens with a burst of hushed energy, whirling sixteenth-notes and a syncopated twittering melody that fights to bubble to the surface. The energy builds perpetually until it finally disintegrates, vanishing as quickly as it began.

 

The second movement, "II. Lontano,"  is a meditation on Arthur Ganson’s kinetic sculpture, "Machine with Artichoke Petal." The sculpture consists of a machine, which through the use of electricity and various levers and gears, allows a tiny, yet sturdy, artichoke petal to gracefully "walk" atop a large, slowly rotating metal disc. The sculpture has a fragile beauty, juxtaposing the delicate artichoke petal with the imposing rotating metal disc. The music meditates on the graceful beauty of the artichoke petal peacefully walking and the continuous cycles of the disc forever turning.

 

The final movement, "III. Vivace, Molto Robusto," concludes the set with a return to the lively, a playful sprint with a rollicking swagger. "Three by Three" was composed for  pianist Mei Rui.

For performance, each movement may be performed separately.

Arthur Ganson’s sculpture: click here

Recording:

Movement I:

Mei Rui, piano

Movement II:

Movement III:

Mei Rui, piano

Total duration: 9 mins

Video:

Below is a video of a performance of Movement I “Moto perpetuo, Presto” by Hui Wu at the 2010 CCC Toronto International Piano Competition.

Past performances:

1. -Mei Rui at SUNY Stony Brook (2010)
   

2. -Mei Rui at the Ravinia Festival (2010)
   

3. -Xak Bjerken at Cornell University (2010) - Cornell Contemporary Chamber Players Recital
   

4. -Xak Bjerken at Cornell University (2010) - Faculty Recital
   

5. -Hui Wu at The Juilliard School (2010)
   

6. -Hui Wu at the 2010 CCC Toronto International Piano Competition (2010)
   

7. -Mei Rui the Hudson Valley Music Club (March 28, 2011)
   

8. -Xak Bjerken at Ohio University (April 9, 2011)
   

9. -Mei Rui at SUNY Stony Brook (May 10, 2011)
   

10. -Hui Wu at Xi'an Concert Hall, China (August 21, 2011)
    

11. -Hui Wu at Cornell University (November 16, 2011)