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Duo
2026
Piano
- Program Notes
- One summer I attended a music festival, and witnessed a thrilling performance of the infamous 4-hand piano transcription of “The Rite of Spring”. The subtle sound of rain outside of the hall, the immense hollowness of the iconic opening phrase... filled me with an intense sense of my own humanity. Other than the obvious musical precision of the two performers, what struck me was the inherhent intamacy of the experience. Two people are required to be physically close together, and the audience is required to watch them togehter. When I finally got the chance to compose a piece for 4-hand piano, I knew this experience was going to be the source of my inspiration. In this piece, a magnetic push and pull between the two players is crafted musically through the use of physical space, rhythmic phasing, and a chromatic “lament” motif. A layer of sensuality and intimacy coats the surface of the piece through a restrained simplicity, and physicality of the performers. The end of the piece blossoms into an ode to both the eroticism of Stravinsky’s Rite, and my enduring love for heavy music.
- Performer Credits
- Billy Waldman
- Publisher
- Wes Coffin / WesCoffinMusic (ASCAP)