variations with sand in the gears (2025) for singing cellist

I love music which is in conversation with itself, and in variations with sand in the gears the cellist gets to be all the voices in a raucous argument. A groovy, dance-like theme undergoes a series of colorful variations which bristle with different techniques, registers, articulations, and sounds. However, rather than being structured in discreet sections, this is music which is continually interrupting itself in a constant state of transformation – like grains of sand rattling in the gears of a machine.
 
This short, virtuosic, and wacky piece was written as an encore-length work for the incredible cello soloist Alex Hersh, and I’m so grateful to him for his collaboration and artistry. Over the course of our work together, his personality, sense of humor, and many of his musical ideas found their way into the piece. It was a joy to create this piece together!
 
variations with sand in the gears was commissioned by Nova Linea Musica for cellist Alexander Hersh.


"Paul Novak's variations with sand in the gears were the highlight of Hersh's solo turn at Guarneri Hall. It was the world premiere; I am sure it will not be the only time it is performed....Novak's music is a new classical form with that same metropolitan feel. Frenetic passages or playful bursts dance against the vignettes of Chicago in my head. I am a visual listener and would love to have this to play on a rainy day."
-Third Coast Review​

with Alex Hersh after the premiere of variations with sand in the gears

recording forthcoming!

---

selected performances
Jan. 2025 — Alexander Hersh, cello, Nova Linea Musica, Guarneri Hall, Chicago, IL [upcoming]