dialogues in black and white (after ellsworth kelly) (2019) for solo piano
|
As someone who is fascinated by the transformation of tiny, simple ideas into complex pieces of art, I find the work of Ellsworth Kelly captivating. Kelly, a painter and sculptor known for the minimalist abstraction and geometric austerity of his work, spent much of his career fixated on the endless permutation of certain color palettes and patterns. One of Kelly’s specific preoccupations was with black and white, and the sensation of viewing his monochromatic paintings is often surreal: viewed against the backdrop of the white gallery wall, the juxtaposed geometric shapes take on an expressivity and a sense of lightness and heaviness. Many of his black and white works are on view at the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, Texas, including an especially wonderful set inspired by the 14 Stations of the Cross.
Just like the infinite permutations of Kelly’s work, dialogues in black and white is about the complex juxtaposition of simple musical ideas. Each movement of this set of four preludes is a conversation between two distinct musics: the first between a low, distant thunder and a lyrical chorale, the second between a high, wandering twinkle and a reckless, thorny sound world, the third between a syncopated scherzo and the resonance of the piano, and the fourth between a trembling repeated note and a shimmering, cascading run. dialogues in black and white was written for pianist Wesley Ducote in Spring 2019. |
Gregory Martin performs dialogues in black and white in March 2020
|
selected performances
Mar. 2023 — Eun-Hee Park, National Association of Composers USA Conference, Montevallo, AL
Mar. 2023 — Florence Mak, Snapshots of Every Voice, Lynx Project, Epiphany Center, Chicago, IL
Feb. 2023 — Dale Tsang, Ensemble for These Times, Berkeley Piano Club, Berkeley, CA
Apr. 2022 — Wesley Ducote, Creative Dialogues, New World Center, Miami, FL
aSep. 2020 — Wesley Ducote, NWS presents Live from our Living Room, New World Center, Miami, FL
Mar. 2020 — Paul Novak's Senior Recital, Shepherd School of Music, Houston, TX
Jun. 2019 — Wesley Ducote, Cortona Sessions Contemporary Performance Competition, Cortona, Italy
Jul. 2018 — Bowdoin International Music Festival, Studzinski Concert Hall, Brunswick, ME
selected honors
National Association of Composers of the United States Composer Competition, 1st place
Mar. 2023 — Eun-Hee Park, National Association of Composers USA Conference, Montevallo, AL
Mar. 2023 — Florence Mak, Snapshots of Every Voice, Lynx Project, Epiphany Center, Chicago, IL
Feb. 2023 — Dale Tsang, Ensemble for These Times, Berkeley Piano Club, Berkeley, CA
Apr. 2022 — Wesley Ducote, Creative Dialogues, New World Center, Miami, FL
aSep. 2020 — Wesley Ducote, NWS presents Live from our Living Room, New World Center, Miami, FL
Mar. 2020 — Paul Novak's Senior Recital, Shepherd School of Music, Houston, TX
Jun. 2019 — Wesley Ducote, Cortona Sessions Contemporary Performance Competition, Cortona, Italy
Jul. 2018 — Bowdoin International Music Festival, Studzinski Concert Hall, Brunswick, ME
selected honors
National Association of Composers of the United States Composer Competition, 1st place