Angelus (piano trio)
Overview
Originally from the piano-cello duo “Halo” (commissioned by Ian and Agi Graham) this piano trio adaptation of “Angelus” was commissioned by the New Zealand Trio
Requirements
The piece requires a small audio speaker to be placed, unseen, inside the piano. Twice in Angelus, audio is subtly heard through this speaker - intentionally being perceptible as an unnatural extension of the piano’s resonance at the time. The audio is sent to the speaker (through a cable or via bluetooth) from a discrete phone or mp3 player, to be handled by the pianist.
Here first are some notes I wrote to an ensemble preparing this piece for performance.........
I created this piece around the time of my mother’s death, something I've always found it difficult to write about.
The pre-recorded sounds in this piece are very subtle, and in a live performance it should not be visible to the audience how and when these sounds are beginning and ending.
The ‘circle on the head of an angel’ is a good metaphor for these extra sounds; they are like an audio ‘halo’ around the live sounds. They should be quiet enough that the listener isn’t sure if they are hearing them or not, almost like it’s an invisible processing of the natural piano sound.
They are supposed to represent the presence of a spirit from ‘the other side of life’ – for me it is the presence of my mother’s spirit in the room. For you or anyone listening, it could be anyone in your life or mind or heart.
Angelus is really about (the memory of) conflict between child and parent. It is a kind of sturm and drang. With a release of conflict-energy at the end. This conflict is fuelled by strong emotions, mostly love, and is often powerfully dramatic. The way our anger and conflict can be shaped by love within our closest relationships.
The last LH idea in the piano (starting m268) is a way to end with a question, and also a representation of the infinite, and also a dissolving of the physical (the live instrument sound) into the spiritual (the invisible audio halo). I love this ending very much – it is like music from beyond life.
