Piano Quintet

Program Notes

This Piano Quintet is an incredibly special piece in my catalog. It is in this piece that I began exploring elements of Hindustani classical music for the first time.

My path to Hindustani classical music was circuitous: at the point I wrote this piece, I had been yearning for years to understand the music of my own culture, but I hadn’t quite found my way in. It wasn’t until my mid-20s, and (surprisingly) during my Masters program at Yale School of Music, that I truly began to engage in a thorough study of the music from my own culture. The minute I felt my voice make that first little gamak, something opened in me, and I knew I had no other choice but to continue peering intently down that path.

Practically, this is my first attempt at an aalap (unmetered improvisation) section for a Western ensemble. The outer two sections have overlapping melodies that are reminiscent of those found at the beginning of a performance of Hindustani vocal music. And the middle section uses a beautiful bandish (song) called Jhanan Jhanan, in Raag Bihag, about Lord Krishna as a mischievous child stealing butter. I love the intimacy of Bihag, the way it slides between the two Ma-s (sharp and natural 4) with such love and sweetness.

This piece is the first step of what became, from that moment forward, a lifelong journey into the space between these two cultures that define me.

Recording

Premiere/Performances

This piece was commissioned by Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. It was premiered on August 14, 2010 in Norfolk, CT. The premiere performers were Nicholas Pappone and Zoe Martin-Doike, violins; Dash Nesbitt, viola; Benjamin Larsen, cello; Lee Dionne, piano.