Solo
2024
9 min.
Piano
More Details
- Program Notes
- For this work I was inspired by the architectural symmetry and hierarchy of cathedrals, as well as the abstract connection these concepts have to the counterpoint of early music and fractals in math. With this idea of proportion and symmetry in mind, this whole work blossomed from two simple motifs: An original motif that contains first (ascending) a 5th, a semitone and then another 5th (which is a symmetric motif and equivalent to a first-inversion major seventh chord); and the famous Romanesca bassline, which appears in much of early music and doubles as a bell-like motif in this piece. From these cells, almost everything from the piano-figurations to the melody and bass is derived from combinations of these: They are embodied in all of the layers, like fractals, and symmetries and repetitions exist at multiple scales at once. I consider this piece a continuation of my journey into a kind of "spiritual" minimalism (although I am not a religious person). I find the hierarchical structure and the meditative repetitiveness almost existentially satisfying, and although the symbolism hardly is discrete, I find it quite striking.
- Ensemble Name
- Marina Nikolaeva Nikolova