Tesselation

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Cory Brodack

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Tesselation

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for piano

Copyright © 2020 by Cory Brodack. All Rights Reserved.

Tesselation Program Note Tesselation is based on the concept of using differently shaped motives as tiles to cover a surface, much in the way that ancient Roman and Islamic art uses simple shapes to create beautiful works of art. The pianist plays miniature snippets of music that slowly fit together to create an impressionistic canvas of rhythm, melody, and harmony.

To the performer

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Cory Brodack, February 2020

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The nature of Tesselation is a transformation between a smooth surface and a more angular, tiled surface. The motives in this piece, particularly the initial few notes, form the geometric shapes which then snugly fit together in a partially obfuscated fractal relationship. The pitch and motivic relationships are partially based on a nova fractal set, as with another piece of mine, Turpentine. This obscure relationship between the motives is most likely not heard at first listen. The motives that reoccur will be clear to the listener, and may form an alternate structure and form not initially conceived by the composer. The pitch is initially derived from the nine note set formed when an augmented triad is removed from the twelve note chromatic set. This nine note set, also more commonly known as Messiaen’s third mode, quickly devolves and splits into the expanding harmonic and melodic language used in this piece.

Performance Notes

Tesselation begins with a free, aleatoric format, and slowly should become more rigid throughout the piece. The performer should strive to keep lines melodic and musical, but attempt to make this clear to the listener.

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Harmonics are used in the piano at several points in the piece. These moments are notated using a notation more commonly seen in string writing – diamond noteheads signifying the fingered harmonic on the string. The exact ratio/distance down the string that the pianist should touch (l.h.) to activate the harmonic is notated using a fraction above these harmonics.

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During passages that the sustain pedal is not depressed, the duration of specified notes are held out using a solid line extended from the notehead. During the sustained passages, the length and touch of notes are left to the discretion of the performer.

Accidentals only apply to notes they immediately precede. Cautionary accidentals have been used in several places to facilitate ease of performance.

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half pedal (sustain)

c. 5'

Tesselation for Allen

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Free Tempo, quasi improvised

Cory Brodack

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*r.h.

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Copyright © 2020 by Cory Brodack. All Rights Reserved.

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The last chord may be arpeggiated if the left hand cannot reach every node simultaneously

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