Short Piano Pieces

Entangled Ladders (pp 1-5) - As the title suggests, a musicalisation of ladders, intertwined and in constantly changing combinations, with a change of mood towards the end. Elegiac Ground (pp 6-8) - Composed in 1989 this is a straightforward and modest little passacaglia in a fairly simple arch shape. Volando (10-11) - This fleeting miniature was written to celebrate Michael Finnissy's 60th birthday in 2006 and first played by Philip Howard at The Warehouse, London.Capriccio for Minna Keal's 80th Birthday (12-14) - Composed in 1989 and since cleaned up, this was a gift for the doughty composer Minna Keal who showed us all that it's never too late to make a 'go' of it. I was surprised, looking at the piece for publication, how close it is, especially harmonically, so much of what I'm writing some 25 years later. A Little Passacaglia (15-18) - Written for Natalie Bleicher, to whom I had the pleasure of teaching composition, the title really says it all. She has recorded it in a CD entitled 'Dream Rotations'. Three Commemorations, for Aldo Clementi, Peter Lieberson and Malcolm Smith (pp19, 20-21, 22-24) page 25 blank - Short pieces written as tributes to two composers (neither of whom I knew, but had met, and admire deeply) and one publisher, whose larger-than-life presence (not to mention luxuriant moustache, fruity gossip and lingering whiff of pipesmoke) will not be easily forgotten.Tristanklanggesang (pp 26-27) - Written as a tribute to Professor John Deathridge on his retirement,this miniature combines a musicalisation of his name with the opening chords of 'Tristan', shuffled and redistributed mercilessly. Beethoven also puts in a brief appearance at the end.