ME = Moderately Easy
M = Medium
MD = Moderately Difficult
D = Difficult
Three Inventions
two pianos
SEA-045-00 - $10.00/copy10 minutes - D Commissioned by Genevieve Jones and Carol Chilton
I. Synchromesh (Gear-Shifter)
II. Prism (Light-Splitter)
III. Synchrotron, or Superconducting-Supercollider (Atom-Smasher)
As the movements' titles suggest, the "inventions" in this colorful work each reflect a physical or mechanical action. The first movement features two different musical "gears," a smaller one in Piano I and a larger one in Piano II. The second movement emulates a prism, but instead of dividing the light spectrum into six colors, the twelve pitches of the chromatic scale are divided between the two pianos. The third movement contains two aspects of its mechanical namesake: movement outward from a central point, and some vigorous atom smashing.
This showpiece for two pianos calls for a strong sense of rhythm and a playful sense of ensemble between the pianists.