music > make believe
make believe (2009)
scored for solo piano
duration 8 minutes
Make Believe is very much a work in progress. After many early versions it came to its present—though not necessarily final—shape as an improvisatory fantasy in a big narrative arc. Looking at it now I see that it is primarily a study in momentum and sonority. I also see that it is an attempt on my part to deal with the virtuoso tradition of Chopin, Liszt, and Ravel, perhaps even to recreate that kind of pianism in my own “make believe” sound world. It is a very personal work, and the elements of struggle and release, which largely defined the process of its creation, feature prominently in the form.
Make Believe was commissioned by Peter Marino for pianist Wonny Song and premiered at Zankel Hall and the Kennedy Center on the Young Concert Artists series.
