EBONY AND IVORY

The title "Ebony and Ivory" for the three pieces was inspired by the obvious distinction of the black and white keys on a music keyboard and how a composer can integrate or separate these notes.

As can be seen in the first piece "Ebony and a Little Ivory" the concentration of material on the 'black' notes yields a pentatonic melody, which dominates this piece. Use is made of the two manuals of the harpsichord to maximize note duplication and rhythmic illusions. It is African in concept.

The second piece "Go Fourth" is driven by a 5-note motif in 4ths, but the simplicity of this open interval is manipulated into a textural web more suited to the sound world of contemporary art music.

The third piece is subtitled "Ligeti Ist Auch Dabei". The composer, Ligeti, used a subtitle in his 2-piano work "Selbsportret" as follows: - “Chopin ist auch dabei". This 'mechanical', almost electronic-sounding piece, was inspired by my teacher, Ligeti, who was the master of musical illusion, and thus his spirit exists in this music.