Fantasy for Piano (2014)
ca. 10 minutes
A smartphone shot from Crissy Field, San Francisco at twilight. The profound stillness and majesty of this and surrounding views of the bay inspired much of the energy in my Fantasy.
Listen
Recorded live in the Sol Joseph Recital Hall, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, on April 23, 2014.
Program Notes
I composed Fantasy for Piano between the summer of 2013 and spring of 2014, in both Michigan and San Francisco. Directly inspired by David Conte’s Fantasy for Piano, I sought to compose a work of similar length and mood. The result was my most ambitious attempt at cohesive form up to that point. I challenged myself to maintain a simple motive throughout, while finding ways to vary the harmonic and structural underpinning surrounding the motive. The form, while free, can loosely be described as sonata form, with an introduction and several large transitional episodes that weave three larger sections together. The piece merges elements of minimalism, rock, and romanticism that I had explored before in my Suite for Piano. Yet the focus on form in the Fantasy produces a more pointed musical statement with the juxtaposition of these varying styles.