( through the clouds towards the rising sun)

(‌through the clouds towards the rising sun)

Piano (duration: 5 min 30 sec)

Gillian R. Menichino

*Premiered at the bridgewater hall, Manchester, UK by Yasmin Rowe Š copyright Gillian Menichino 2012

(‌through the clouds towards the rising sun)

Piano (duration: 5 min 30 sec)

Gillian R. Menichino

Having been asked to write a new work for piano solo loosely based on Debussy’s Prelude no. 3 Le Vent dans la Plaine, one can hardly escape the predominant repetitious sextuplet figures. They persist relentlessly throughout the entirety of the prelude with only occasional interruptions by falling seventh chord quavers and abrupt, sweeping gestures. This sense of background, foreground, and hierarchy of the material I find particularly inspiring as I used this prelude as a formal guide for writing this new work, a Manchester prelude.

In combination with the framework of this prelude and on a literal basis, I also chose to use the frequently hovering clouds of Manchester as a basis for inspiration. The bright, luminous colors of the piano’s high register follow the introduction presenting heavy, rising chords that grow out of the low pedal tones. The chords in the low and high registers are meant to illustrate the darkness as from below the clouds and the clarity and brightness of the sky from the other side of the veil, just beyond the clouds. On a more abstract front I have only chosen to share the poem that follows so merely as to provide a closer, more personal sense behind the music.

I will write the sky and I will write the stars, and send my tears to the clouds to be showered over earthbound jewels reflecting the eternal gaze of shivering eyes, the skies most spacious eyes Fly higher fly higher where the air is thin, where darkness gives way to a rising light, where pure skies of pale blue make way for the rising sun You lay a life, a tiny seed, by breath is nurtured possessing a light so bright forcing even the sun to shy away Fly higher fly higher where the air is thin to greet the sun beyond the horizon.

Now that your wings have taken flight, may they set you free beyond the glowing veil.

Gillian R. Menichino

Gillian R. Menichino

q = 52 dark, melancholy

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

 

   

Copyright © 2012

    

      

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poco rall.

    

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19



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q = 66 fluently, evenly

                                               

21

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23

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25

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27

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32

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38

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6

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36

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6

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   

34

p sub

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9

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 

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p sub

f

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6

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4

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40



f

    poco rit.

  

6

   







13:12

   

   

 

6

   

       

          

 

6

pp

   



                       

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 

p

 

     

6

    



A tempo

         

44

6

      

 

42

ff

mp



 

   



        

6

6

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mf

 

  

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          46                               6



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48





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      

 

6

6

6

6

 6

 

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 

   6



 

         6



 



   6

 

                pp

6

6





 

 









  

 



5

pp

                     

52

 



  



50

 

                                



 

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 

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                               6

6 6

6

                 6

6

   

 



  

54

6

 

 

 

p sub

   

 

58





 

   pp

     





    

      





                  

6

   



 



9

  



   

f

   



      

    

  

 

 

 

mf

  

  

      

   



56





 

mf p sub





    

 

6









     

6



 

6





mf



p sub pp

           6

       6

6









62





6



6

 

 

f

 

6

6







 







      

    

          



  

6

                          64             

p

     

mp

6

                       

  

 

        

 

 









  



   

 

p

mf

 



  





60

   

 

 



   



p

    



(...through the clouds towards the rising sun)

For Mom