Légende for Guitar, Harp, & Piano, Op. 13

This piece was written in Prague for a friend I made there; it is in five brief movements and the inspiration is from medieval Occitan literature. The organization of the movements depicts a "legend," or some sort of story which one recounts to another, beginning in the morning and ending in the evening. 

The first movement is an alba ("sunrise"), which is similar to an aubade -- a morning love poem --and the piece serves as an introduction to the set. 

The second movement is more lively and is a poem celebrating the arrival of spring.

The third movement is pensive and reflective, highlighting the harp, and ends with an unadorned quotation of a kyrie.

The fourth movement is the most vivacious in the set and is an energetic dance reinforced with numerous repetitions.

The final movement is a serenata (or, serenade), which is similar in concept to the opening "alba," though a serenata occurs in the evening, thus demonstrating the course of a day's time; the piece utilizes material from all the previous movements to provide a sense of total synthesis.

Ravishing. 

Such wonderfully lush and sexy music, if you'll pardon my saying so.  This is music to make love to on a languid afternoon, with the sun on your beloved's shoulders and white clouds rolling by on the breeze outside. 

Your harmonic palette feels very impressionistic, and yet it's more than that, isn't it?  It's like Ravel and Debussy had a mad, passionate affair, with this resulting.  I was so taken with the sensuousness, I forgot to critique, and I just let it wash over me - and what a pleasure.   

Forgive the sexual references, but honestly, I haven't heard music this evocative in ages, whether it's what you intended or not.  Beautiful stuff, my friend!   

Wonderful!! Be proud!

Do know it's hard for the guitarist to be dynamically in balance with the piano.

On 2/8/2019 at 12:12 AM, J. Lee Graham said:

Ravishing. 

Such wonderfully lush and sexy music, if you'll pardon my saying so.  This is music to make love to on a languid afternoon, with the sun on your beloved's shoulders and white clouds rolling by on the breeze outside. 

Your harmonic palette feels very impressionistic, and yet it's more than that, isn't it?  It's like Ravel and Debussy had a mad, passionate affair, with this resulting.  I was so taken with the sensuousness, I forgot to critique, and I just let it wash over me - and what a pleasure.   

Forgive the sexual references, but honestly, I haven't heard music this evocative in ages, whether it's what you intended or not.  Beautiful stuff, my friend!   

 

Thank you so much for your kind comment! I appreciate the feedback, as always

On 2/8/2019 at 12:39 PM, Jan-Peter de Jager said:

Wonderful!! Be proud!

Do know it's hard for the guitarist to be dynamically in balance with the piano.

 

Thank you! While I am far from confident that this will ever be performed, this is definitely the sort of feedback I need to be always conscientious and mindful of things like that.

22 hours ago, Jared Steven Destro said:

While I am far from confident that this will ever be performed, this is definitely the sort of feedback I need to be always conscientious and mindful of things like that.

It would be a great pity if this were never performed, but I know getting a really good harpist to do something like this is near impossible - they're all so busy!  Maybe a really good student?  

On 2/8/2019 at 11:39 AM, Jan-Peter de Jager said:

Do know it's hard for the guitarist to be dynamically in balance with the piano.

Hopefully the pianist would be sensitive to the blend, and not drown the guitar.  The rule in chamber music is, if you can't hear everyone in the group, you're playing too loudly - it's as simple as that.  Of course, we composers must do our best not to make things like blend and balance too difficult, but I don't think there's anything you've written that inherently makes a good blend a problem between the instruments.  The players will need to check themselves is all.  Even the harp can be too loud sometimes if s/he is not careful.