The Old Photo Box
twenty miniatures for solo piano
| Duration: | 58 minutes | |
| Instrumentation: | Solo Piano |
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Eligible for 15% music student discount |
Program notes:
Imagine finding an old photo box up in the dusty attic, each photo telling of a story frozen in time. Suddenly, images start moving, coming to life, and you are sent into daydreams, flashbacks and recollections. With twenty miniatures, each restricted to only a few minutes, I have tried to portray a story, a drama, condensed with visual details that may sometimes resemble a short movie. Some of these portraits are based on real experiences of mine, while others are completely imaginary.
I had the honor of writing The Old Photo Box with dedication to some of my best friends and colleagues, all of whom I deeply admire. They are the ones who gave me the inspiration and ideas for this cycle:
Nobuko Amemiya, Sarah Bob, Geoffrey Burleson, Margaret Cheng Tuttle, Alison d’Amato, Gila Goldstein, Yoni Farhi, Benjamin Hochman, Inti Honik, Jun Komatsu, Pablo Lavandera, Barbara Lieurance, Tali Morgulis, Cédric Pescia, Luba Poliak, Dunja Robotti, Zvi Semel, Maria Suokas, Michal Tal, Einav Yarden.
| Year composed: | 2006 | |
| Commissioned by: | In memory of Adele and John Gray | |
| Written for: | Nobuko Amemiya, Sarah Bob, Geoffrey Burleson, Margaret Cheng Tuttle, Alison d’Amato, Gila Goldstein, Yoni Farhi, Benjamin Hochman, Inti Honik, Jun Komatsu, Pablo Lavandera, Barbara Lieurance, Tali Morgulis, Cédric Pescia, Luba Poliak, Dunja Robotti, Zvi Semel, Maria Suokas, Michal Tal, Einav Yarden | |
| Premiere performance: | (Premiere of full cycle) Geoffrey Burleson, Gila Goldstein, Pablo Lavandera, Luba Poliak and Einav Yarden New York, NYC, USA 17 May 2006 |
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| Movements: | ||
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1. The Attic Discovering an old photo box up in the attic, drifting into daydreams and reflections. |
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2. Monsieur Lepic Missing his Train Realizing too late that he has been waiting on the wrong platform. . . |
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3. A Drizzly Evening in Berlin Berlin at evening, dark, cold, dim street light. Walking… ambulance passes by, empty streets. |
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4. The Wanted Clown Few angry gang-members, a clown, circus, chase, almost drowning, survival, another chase, and… |
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5. Shadows Cross Boulevard Saint-Germain Parisian café, evening, rain. Who is crossing the boulevard? Is this Satie and his friends? |
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6. Kaleidoscopic Daydreams Daydreaming, reflecting and roaming between one idea and another |
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7. A Gloomy Man at the Tavern A shabby tavern, One man lets alcohol sway him back into better days of childhood. |
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8. Practice Room Hunt A music student pops into busy practice rooms, trying to find an empty room for himself. |
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9. The Cave of One Question One question being echoed in a cave, finally asked… |
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10. Mirage Nonexistent images appear alive at the yellow, burning-hot desert |
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11. The Chase Who chases who?! |
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12. Pont Saint-Louis Paris, Rue du Cloître Notre-Dame, round midnight, cold, drizzle; a merry accordionist on the bridge. |
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13. The Army General and a Clown [sharing one stage] An army general tries to deliver s speech while a passing-by clown sneaks in and mocks him. |
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14. YorkStrasse Train Station – 1:00AM Berlin. Missing the last night train, empty platform, once in a while a distant train passes by. |
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15. Old Note Found in a Book Inside forgotten Book, one old note brings memories of a beloved one. |
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16. Murder at the French Cabaret Chase behind the scenes, hiding onstage, cancan dancers, chase resumes, victim found. |
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17. The Abandoned Jazz Club Revisiting an old, dusty, time frozen jazz club that once knew better days. |
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18. Smuggler’s Boat – Coastguard Boat Deep at sea, darkness. Two boats, signals, chase, escape, signal again, few lives lost. |
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19. The Mad Hatter Goes to a Silent Movie 1925, New York, a hatter, intoxicated by mercury, leaves his work and rushes to the cinema. |
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20. Between Dream and Reality Closing the photo box and reflecting. Slowly waking up to the real world. |
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| Reviews: | Classical Net | |
| Performance History: | ||
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