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.
Score available from:
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.
Score available from:
