For piano (2007) – 17 minutes
PROGRAM NOTE
Knot Two Suite consists of five pieces of varying lengths and forms—from short inventions to extended fantasies. They can be performed as complete works or independently.
There are five movements, symmetrically arranged with the first and last the largest, the middle, Reflection, the slowest, and the second and fourth the shortest. The opening movement makes use of two hexachords for its colors. Its winter melody is contorted nervously, and time ticks away. The inventions are freely chromatic, earnest, constructive, with the second of them brighter and more positive than the first in character. The central movement is lyrical and introspective, and somewhat romantic. With some nervousness, it takes a stepwise chromatic melody and stretches it out to a full movement.
The finale is rhythmically driven and whimsical, consisting of outer more frantic sections with a central slower section. The rhythmic and melodic motives of the opening are transformed in the return, and self-consciousness, which has popped up throughout, is now celebrated. The piece is a progression from one state of mind to another, from dark to light, ignorance to learning, fear to courage, via invention, reflection and re-invention. It is a rebirth, an awakening, and a look in the mirror.
I had in mind while writing this suite images of breakfast, mirrors, pretzels, children, and Ana Berlin to whom it is dedicated.
