JAVS Fall 2011

Paul Siskind’s music has been widely performed by groups such as the Minnesota Orchestra, the Arditti Quartet, and the New Amsterdam Singers. his music is published by Schirmer, Cantando Musikkforlag, and Sweet Child Music and recorded commercially for Innova, New Ariel, Equilibrium, and ERM Media. he has received numerous awards including the Silliman Anthem Award and New Music Delaware Prize, and he was a winner of the G. Schirmer young Americans’ Art Song Competition. Dr. Siskind is currently on the faculty of the Crane School of Music, SuNy-Potsdam. Although this piece is short, it really packs a punch with a lot of great variety. The piece opens with a declamatory statement by the piano, and the first section is marked by repeated sixteenth-note patterns that are passed back and forth between the piano and viola. The viola plays a free and rhapsodic, yet virtuosic line over the repeated patterns. Glissando harmonics separate the phrases in this section. The second section is built on a simple motive that is embellished and expanded with each statement while the piano plays a rocking motive consisting of syncopation. A

dialogue between the viola and piano is followed by a bril liant cadenza. The last section brings back the repeated six teenth-note patterns, but instead of the free rhapsodic line, he ties together the piece with a motive reminiscent of the declamatory statement from the first measure. I think the language of the piece will be very accessible to many audi ences, and it’s a short piece with fire—a significant contrast to the many elegies in our repertoire.

This work is available by contacting the composer through his website: www.paulsiskind.com

Difficulty Level: 5 Duration: 6:30 minutes

Key to the Difficulty Level Chart: 1 Very Easy 2 Somewhat Easy 3 Intermediate 4 Somewhat Difficult 5 Difficult 6 Very Difficult

Geoffrey Ovington

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