Souvenirs

Mementos

1. Passacaglia for a Sunny Day
2. Cold, Rainy Day
3. Samba!

Miniatures

1. Floating
2. Nocturne
3. Haunted House
4. Sorrow

Dance Suite

1. Prelude
2. Dance for the Sun
3. Tangential Tango
4. Hydroelectric Slide

PROGRAM NOTES:

Souvenirs for Piano Solo (2006) is a set of graduated pieces (intermediate to advanced) for students of the piano. In order to create a sense of cohesion between the movements, I divided the work into three smaller pieces: Mementos, Miniatures, and Dance Suite. The three movements that make up Mementos focus on developing the left hand as an independent voice and melodic instrument. The four movements of Miniatures are based on the same fluid 12-tone row. Have no fear! The purpose of this is not to scare the student away from new music, rather, I wish to help the student adjust to the sound of dissonance and to begin to recognize how composers’ use these sounds to create musical tension and release. The Dance Suite introduces tricky counterpoint and works to develop agility. I have found that dance movements help the student feel the ebb and flow of the music in their own body which in turn informs their interpretation of the piece. The 2006 commissioned work is funded by Music Teachers' National Association (MTNA) and the Iowa MTA.

– Notes by Andrea Reinkemeyer

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