EllisLudwig-Leone Sanctuary
12' forsolopiano
CommissionedbytheTerezínMusicFoundationasalivingmemorial tothecomposersandmusiciansoftheTerezínconcentrationcampwhoperishedduringtheHolocaust
ProgramNote:
Eachofthethreemovementsofthispieceisinspiredbyadifferentpainting:YellowPoolbyAnneLeone(mymother), Gregory’sPartybySimonDinnerstein(Simone’sfather),andSanctuarybyDanielLudwig(myfather).Eachofthe paintingsareovertwentyyearsold,andIpurposelychosethembecausetheyarepiecesthatSimoneandIgrewupwith. ThefirsttwopaintingsaredepictionsofayoungEllisandayoungSimone,respectively,asseenthroughourparents’ eyes.Thethirdpainting,Sanctuary,isalandscapeofthewoodsnearmychildhoodhome.
Thefunnythingaboutbeingthechildofanartististhattheirworkliterallypaintsthewallsofyourmemory.Yousee theirpieceslessasartworksandmoreasabackdroptoyourownlifeOneofmyearliestmemoriesissittinginmy father’sstudio,scribblingmyownpictureandlisteningtoPaulSimonwhilehepaintedEvennowitishardformeto approachmyparents’artwithanythingresemblinganobjectiveeye(ifthereissuchathing),becausehowdoyouparse theartworkfromthetangledwebofmemoriesandassociationsyouhavewithit?AsIwrotethispiece,Itriedto embracethisfact,andasaresult,themotivationcamefromanemotionalspacethatIrarelyaccesswhenIwrite instrumentalmusic.
Alsoworthmentioningistheissueofinstrumentation:thisisapieceforsolopiano.BothSimoneandIgrewup takingpianolessons,and,asanyparentcantellyou,gettingayoungchildtopracticecanbecomeasharedfamily responsibility.Irememberpracticingaloneforhours,myparentspipingupfromthekitchenwhenIstrayedfromthe musicfortoolong.Sittingatthepianoandwritingthispiecefeltalittlelikeatimewarp,takingmebacktothedaysof learningChopin,Rachmaninov,andRavelInresponse,Ifoundanold-fashionedharmoniclanguagethatIthoughtIhad leftbehind,mostapparentinthefirstmovement(anodtoRavel,whosePianoConcertoinGwasoneofthefirstpiano piecesIeverloved)
Allofwhichistosay,therewasacatharsistowritingthismusicthatwasunusual,andforthatIwouldliketothank MarkLudwig,myfather’scousinanddirectorofTMF,whosuggestedtheideainthefirstplace.Iwouldalsoliketo thankDanielLudwig,AnneLeone,andSimonDinnerstein,withoutwhomthispiece(forartisticandbiologicalreasons) wouldneverexist.
SpecialInstructions:
Thepieceiscomprisedofthreemovements,andshouldbeperformedwithbriefpausesbetweenmovements.
Movementtwo(Gregory'sParty)iscomprisedoffourminiatures:snowglobe,jacks,dolls,andchild. Therecanbeashortbreathafterthefirstandsecondminiatures,butthethird(dolls)shouldcontinue attaccaintothefourth(child).
Mordentsareusedthroughoutthepiece,andshouldbeplayedasathree-notefigure,startingonthe writtennote,movingadiatonicstepdirectlyaboveit(unlessotherwisespecified),andthenreturningto thewrittennote
Somepedalmarkingscanbefoundthroughout,buttheperformershouldpedalwhenevernecessary