Audio Sample
|
From the CD First light |
Selected products featuring this work — Display all products (2 more)
Score
First light : a selection of solo piano pieces suitable for senior secondary piano students. Volume 2.
Library shelf no. 786.2/FIR 3 [Not for loan]
Display all products featuring this work (2 more)
Work Overview
Homage to Chopin is a three-movement work which explores
some of the stylistic characteristics of Chopin. There is an
element of pastiche, a hint of parody, and also an attempt to
incorporate subtly some harmonic elements which are derived from
jazz harmony. Each movement is modelled on or influenced by a
specific Chopin piece or selection of pieces. The first movement
is influenced by the Berceuse in its decorative
right-hand figurations and also to some extent by the harmonic
structure of the Nocturne in D flat Op 27 No.2. This movement
also contains a hint of Rachmaninoff, particularly in the way the
climax is constructed. From a compositional technique point of
view, I was interested in this movement to explore the idea of
generating most of the thematic material from the first four
tones of the opening melody.
Movement II is based on the textural idea of the Prelude Op 28
No. 4: i.e., repeated and gradually chromatically-changing
left-hand chords accompanying a single line right hand melody.
The movement began as a composition craft exercise. I was trying
to create chromatic harmonic effects using limited tonal means.
The movement is constructed using only the six-tone scale [E
flat, F, A flat, B flat, C flat, D], except for a three-bar
enharmonically contrasting section where the E flat is replaced
with an E natural.
Movement III was inspired by my love of Chopin's Mazurkas, and
refers particularly to Op. 17 No. 4, Op. 63 No. 2 and Op. 68 No.
4. In an attempt to unify the work, I have used the same
four-tone melodic motive from Movement I to derive the thematic
material for this movement. Some of the characteristic
Chopinesque techniques used are the inner-part chromatic line in
the second section, the partial chromatic circle of fifths in the
third section, and the drone-based martial idea in the section
preceding the da capo.
Homage to Chopin is dedicated to Susan Boardman who used the
first movement to create a bizarre dance-piece, Romantic
Suggestions, which involved dancing with a man's suit attached to
an ironing board.
The complete Homage to Chopin was first performed by
Roger Smalley live on ABC Classics FM on 24 September 1997.
Work Details
Year: 1990
Instrumentation: Piano.
Duration: 6 min.
Difficulty: Medium — AMEB Grade 7 - 8
Contents note: 1min., 55 sec., 55 sec., 3 min., 29 sec.
Dedication note: Dedicated to Susan Boardman
User reviews
Be the first to share your thoughts, opinions and insights about this work.
To post a comment please login.