I Phantom Pulse The first movement investigatesirregularly grouped patterns within a unified tempothat give the illusion of simultaneous contrasting tempi,a so-called “Phantom Pulse”. Its predominantly two-part, toccata-like texture is inspired by the texturalprecision and clarity of the sonatas of AlessandroScarlatti. For the greater part of the movement the lefthand plays irregular patterns with no bar lines, giving ita seemingly independent life from the barred materialof the right hand. II Metrical Mirror The entire movement is madeup of exact or inexact mirror phrases, sometimesrhythmic, sometimes melodic inversions. It isdominated by a chorale-like theme with added notes toprovide rhythmic displacements with the ensuingcounter-melodies. As the movement progresses thechorale is heard in diminishing values, contracting andadding additional layers of quasi-independent voices toform a climactic outburst in the central statement of thetheme. III Study in Swing In both its insistent dottedrhythmic ostinato and its sense of struggle the finalmovement is the most Beethovenian. The “incipient” ofthe title refers to “an idea at the beginning of itsdevelopment, an idea beginning to exist.” The tension ofthe entire first section is a motivic play between majorand minor thirds in constantly varied musical periods.In the central section the intervals are exploded andtransformed into predominating fourths, then fifths, anexploration of the theme in different intervallic garb.The two-part texture recalls the first movement butquickly grows into a virtuosic central section thatexploits the full range of the instrument.
- ISMN: 9790708129417 (M708129417)
