Book of Saints (2008)
Eight movements; piano; ca. 14 min.
Despite (or perhaps because of) my Protestant upbringing, I have always been drawn to stories about the saints of the Roman Catholic Church. My Book of Saints (2008) – a collection of eight miniature portraits for piano – represents a culmination of this long-standing interest.
Franz Liszt also found saints inspiring, and in selecting saints as subjects for my piano pieces, I am preceded by his grand compositions. However, my efforts have more in common with the intimate character-pieces of Schumann, Mendelssohn, Satie, Janáček and Messiaen than with the glories of Liszt’s pianism.
In some cases, my chosen saints are portrayed in obvious ways; in other cases, the references are subtler, and may not be apparent to anyone but me. However, I would rather leave it to listeners to consider how my musical ideas are connected to my subjects than offer explicit descriptions of my intentions.
Despite (or perhaps because of) my Protestant upbringing, I have always been drawn to stories about the saints of the Roman Catholic Church. My Book of Saints (2008) – a collection of eight miniature portraits for piano – represents a culmination of this long-standing interest.
Franz Liszt also found saints inspiring, and in selecting saints as subjects for my piano pieces, I am preceded by his grand compositions. However, my efforts have more in common with the intimate character-pieces of Schumann, Mendelssohn, Satie, Janáček and Messiaen than with the glories of Liszt’s pianism.
In some cases, my chosen saints are portrayed in obvious ways; in other cases, the references are subtler, and may not be apparent to anyone but me. However, I would rather leave it to listeners to consider how my musical ideas are connected to my subjects than offer explicit descriptions of my intentions.
