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Months of the Year
Abstract
Months of the Year was written in 2022, inspired by Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons. It opens with January - Rolling waves …. not to be overwhelmed, capturing the uncertainty of life with Covid-19. The waves of the left hand are on the black keys, stormy and rolling with emotion.
February - Barcarolle is a respite, a gentle boat song inspired by Chopin’s eponymous piece.
March – War was written in 2022 as the war in the Ukraine filled news feeds with bombings, attacks and the terrible plight of people fleeing the Russian invasion. Juxtaposing three against two rhythmically, using augmented triads and resounding octaves, this piece attempts to capture the tumult, angst and horror of war.
April - Rain opens with hypnotic, falling raindrops played between the hands. Minimalistic, with shifting bi-tonal harmonies, the rain patterns set the backdrop for a low, sustained line which enters in the left hand, undergirding the falling rain.
May - May Dance is just that: a traditional dance around a maypole with the music depicting dancers interweaving colorful ribbons. In ABA form, the musical lines and augmented harmonies become more intertwined as the dance develops. The middle section is a waltz, based on the opening May dance motif, with the dancers taking a break from weaving their ribbons. The ribbons are then picked up again with the return of the May dance, the weaving is finished and the dancers celebrate!
June - Fireflies is reminiscent of my childhood, with memories of chasing fireflies in my grandparents’ yard in Virginia. The flashes of color and the flitting insects evading capture are happy recollections of family and fun.
July - Fireworks references the fireworks of July 4th, Independence Day in the U.S., and also the colors of Feux d’artifice by Debussy. Opening with ‘spontaneous bursts’, cascades of fireworks, a swirling musical Catherine’s Wheel, explosions and ‘flashes of light’ ensue, with the piece ending in a haze of disappearing illuminations.
August - Sun, sea and sand is piece about vacations at the seaside. The sun is majestic, hot and omnipresent. The sand trickles through fingertips with piano figuration. The sea is undulating and cool, with waves lapping and breaking against the shore.
September - September Forest was inspired by Amy Beach’s September Forest which I recorded from her manuscript. My house has large oak trees behind it: their stature and long-living presence is depicted by full, extended chordal harmonies. A middle section with an expressive melody paints a forest oasis of respite. Beach’s piece is briefly quoted before the return of the majestic tree theme.
October - Harvest opens with threshing machines harvesting the wheat from golden fields. The opening patterns are reminiscent of Florence Price’s writing for piano. The threshing section is followed by the birds singing and feasting on what is left behind by the harvesters. A good-ol’ hoedown follows, with all of the workers joining together in a celebratory dance!
November - Autumn Leaves opens with the crunch of fallen leaves underfoot. Beach’s Dancing Leaves, Op. 102, No. 2, is briefly referenced between the blowing, drifting and twirling leaves. A jaunty second melody portrays one happily walking through the leaves on an autumnal day.
December - Bells opens with chimes of church bells, perhaps on Christmas Day, with the famous chimes of Big Ben making an appearance, interspersed with Himalayan bells tinkling in the breeze. “O Come, All Ye Faithful” is briefly referenced before the entry of sleigh bells, accompanying an original melody. The opening section returns with chimes and Himalayan bells, before sleigh bells disappear into the distance.