Issuu

MM OHAMMED OHAMMEDFF AIROUZ AIROUZ PIANO PIANOMINIATURES MINIATURES Book Book1, Nos.1-8 1-8 2,1,Nos. 9-17 for for SoloSolo Piano Piano

Program Notes Piano Miniature No. 9, “Lullaby for a Chelsea Boy” “Lullaby for a Chelsea Boy” juxtaposes a tender and static song against a distant memory of the night before. It is dedicated to Kathleen Supové. Piano Miniature No. 10, “Liberace” Liberace has always been a musical hero of mine and a really fascinating person to boot. This little character piece captures some of the flamboyance of the great gay pianist. It was written as a celebration for another great gay pianist (and a very different one), Steven Blier on his wedding. Piano Miniature No. 11, “For Syria” Throughout 2012, Bashar Al Assad’s regime has been murdering men women and children who have been asking for change in Syria. A recent news report displayed dozens of children found dead in Homs. The reporter commented on how they looked peaceful “as though sleeping”. A few days later I sat down to write a new piano miniature in response to a commission from the International Beethoven Project. Their theme was “revolution” and the new miniature was to be inspired by the Eroica Symphony, Beethoven’s most revolutionary (and politically laced) work. It seemed natural for me to respond by commenting on the current revolution and loss of life in Syria. The result is a simple little elegy called “For Syria” in which the piano’s singing line is a lullaby for those sleeping children: a lullaby that they have been robbed of the chance to hear. Piano Miniature No. 12 My 12th Piano Miniature is a little song without words. The tempo and unadorned lyricism is partly inspired by my love for the early Tin Pan Alley tear-jerker ballads. The secret unsung lyrics are from a poem by Seamus Heaney. This miniature was my first gentle reaction to his death and is dedicated to Seamus in gratitude for his generosity and friendship toward me. Piano Miniature No. 13, “America never was America to me” On the fiftieth anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have A Dream” speech, I wrote an elegy for an unarmed black teenager who was shot and killed by a man who was suspicious of his appearance. The fact that Trayvon Martin was gunned down and his killer legally acquitted of his murder in 2013 has, not secretly, been a cause for grief among people of color in the United States today. In the days that followed, on my regular daily walks thorough the streets of Manhattan the words of Langston Hughes’ poem “Let America Be America Again” rang through my head. I’d memorized the poem as a kid and its darkest lines seemed particularly poignant today: (There’s never been equality for me, Nor freedom in this “homeland of the free.”) Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark? And who are you that draws your veil across the stars? I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart, I am the Negro bearing slavery’s scars. I am the red man driven from the land, I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek— And finding only the same old stupid plan Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak. With the sounds of street-life, these verses intermingled with the percussive sounds of anger. I sat down a few days later and, over the course of a few hours, these sounds became my 13th Piano Miniature. The work is dedicated, respectfully, to the memory of Trayvon Martin and takes its title from the most hopeful lines in Langston Hughes’ poem: O, yes, I say it plain, America never was America to me, And yet I swear this oath— America will be! -

The Rogues Gallery, Piano Miniatures Nos. 14-17 The comic book writer Dennis O’ Neil described Batman’s Gotham City as “Manhattan below Fourteenth Street at eleven minutes past midnight on the coldest night in November” to which William Safire, writing in The New York Times adds: “from SoHo to Greenwich Village, the Bowery, Little Italy, Chinatown and the sinister areas around the base of the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges.” In this chilling environment, Bob Kane created arguably the most colorful rogues gallery of villains in any comic book series. I selected four of these figures as the basis for my 14th-17th Piano Miniatures, a series of character pieces in which I sketched out attributes of these extreme and deep characters. These miniatures are designed to be performed as a set titled The Rogues Gallery. Mr. Freeze (Piano Miniature No. 14) Mr. Freeze is a tragic character. Driven by a desire to cure his terminally ill wife, Nora, he cryogenically freezes her in an unauthorized experiment only to have his employers pull the plug on the whole affair and, in the process, trigger an industrial accident that leaves him in his current cold state. Freeze’s condition also slows down his body’s aging process, basically making him immortal. Much has been written about the symbolism of cold for Mr. Freeze (that molecules slow down when colder). As a result, the music of this miniature is extremely slow and makes use of the high registers traditionally used to evoke coldness in music. The music is stoic but tinged with tragedy and loss. In the middle of the miniature, we hear a tinkling melody that I wrote to evoke Nora in the extreme high range imitating the sound of a music box. This is a reference to the makeshift music box that Mr. Freeze creates featuring an ice sculpture of his wife. It is his only source of happiness during his incarceration. Scarecrow (Piano Miniature No. 15) Originally a student of phobias, Scarecrow uses his psychological knowledge as well as his signature fear-gas to exploit the fears of his victims. The music of this miniature is extremely fast and relentless, imitating the increased heartbeat of a terrified victim. There are echos of the Dies Irae (Day of Wrath) throughout. Just as it seems to calm down, this minute-long panic attack comes to a tumultuous close. Two-Face (Piano Miniature Nos. 16A/16B) Once Gotham City’s dashing and idealistic district attorney, Harvey Dent is driven to insanity when the left side of his face is hideously scarred by acid. This unleashes all of his inner demons and obsession with dualities. Believing that justice is arbitrary, Two-Face makes all his decisions with the flip of a coin. At this point in the set, the pianist flips a coin to determine whether the audience will hear miniature 16A (Harvey Dent) or 16B (Two-Face). Miniature 16A sets the calm and magnanimous spirit of Dent centered around an starry-eyed chorale ever reaching upward. There is only a hint in this music that things could go terribly wrong. Miniature 16B takes Harvey’s musical motifs and transforms them into violent blackened sounds invoking Two-Face’s ruthless and psychotic character. The Riddler (Piano Miniature No. 17) The Riddler is my favorite of Batman’s Rogues. The master of puzzles leaves clues to his deadly crimes in the form of Riddles to challenge his opponents and prove his intellectual superiority. The music is obsessively punctuated with a seven note motif that spells out “R-I-D-D-L-E-R” using a modified version of the 19th century “French” system of generating musical cryptograms:

A B C D E F G ♭ H I

J K L M N ♮

O P Q R S T U ♯ V W X Y Z

The flamboyance of the music is inspired by Frank Gorshin’s depiction of the character as well as Jim Carrey’s interpretation (inspired by Gorshin). At the opening of the score, a riddle is presented from the comic book Batman No. 23.2: Riddler #1, one of my favorite Riddler comics: “My servants cannot leave me, In all they number five. They bring me everything I want, and I keepisthem alive.byWhat amGorshin’s I?” The answer is presented to the “R-I-D-D-L-E-R” motif and boyance of the music inspired Frank depiction of the cryptographically character as wellinascounterpoint Jim then as a second theme of its own. A hint to the answer is also given in the fact that this is a piano piece: “H-A-N-D”. nterpretation (inspired by Gorshin). —Mohammed Fairouz

ening of the score, a riddle is presented from the comic book Batman #23.2: Riddler #1, one of te Riddler comics: “My servants cannot leave me, In all they number five. They bring me g I want, and I keep them alive. What am I?”

er is presented cryptographically in counterpoint to the “R-I-D-D-L-E-R” motif and then as a eme of its own. A hint to the answer is also given in the fact that this is a piano piece: “H-A-N-

Piano Miniatures, Book 2 No. 9, Lullaby for a Chelsea Boy No. 10, Liberace No. 11, For Syria No. 12 No. 13, America Never Was America to Me The Rogues Gallery No. 14, Mr. Freeze No. 15, Scarecrow No. 16a, Harvey Dent No. 16b, Two-Face No. 17, The Riddler

4 6 8 10 12

16 18 21 24 26

Piano Miniatures, Book 2 Mohammed Fairouz (2012-13)

To Kathleen Supové

9. Lullaby for a Chelsea Boy q = 50

& 44

ptenderly

4 &4

œ œ bœ

&  π ? œ œ bœ

? b œ. 10

b œ.

œ-

œ œ œ œ

œœœ

& 

∑

œœœ

œ œ œ œ



π œ œ bœ

œ œ œ œ& œœœ

Œ  p œ œ bœ œ œ. œ œ œœœ



∑

œ œ bœ

 p

œ œ bœ

œœœ

œ bœ œ œ œ

 p

œ œ bœ

œ œ œ œ



œ œ œ œ

œœœ

Œ œ œ Œ

œ œ œ œ

œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

ppever so gentle ? œ œ b œ. œb œ.

œ œ

-̇ œ b œ œ. œ.

œ bœ œ œ œ

œ bœ

10. Liberace

>œ

Mohammed Fairouz

>œ

>œ œ̆ >œ >œ >œ œ̆ >œ >œ >œ œ̆ # >œ ˘ >œ >œ >œ œ̆ œ̆ N œ œ̆ œ œ œ̆ œ̆ œ̆ œ̆ b œ œ̆ œ̆ œ̆ œ̆ b œ œ̆ œ̆ œ̆ œ̆ # œ

Fast and Spunky {q = 160-168}

?4 4

ƒ ?4 œ Œ Œ 4 œ 

˘˘ œœ œ œ œ œ œ    5 & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ > œ œ > œ œ œ œ > œ œ > œ œ # œ œ >œ œ œ >œ œ œ >œ œ  >     > œ̆ ? œ ‰ Œ. . œ ‰ Œ . œ œ œ œ œ >   œ.   > œ Œ Œ œ 

œ Œ Œ œ 

‰ œj # œ œ̆ œ̆  >

œ œ 

œœ > œ œ ‰ œ  ◊ 9 œ & œœ œ œ œœ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ b œ œ œœ > > >>> > > > > >         >˙ œ̆ œ̆ œ̆ b œ œ̆ b œ ? œ œ œ  bœ bœ œ  œ  œ      & b œœ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œœ œ œ >>> > >   > > Œ >  Œ b œœ œœ œ œœ œœ ? œ Œ œ œ œ > > > 17 j Œ bœ. bœ & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ bœ œ œ bœ >>>  Sffp b œ œ > > >œ b œ >œ œ >œ œ ? ˙œ .. œ . b bœ bœ > > bœ > 13

œ œ œ œ œ œ > œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ > œ œ >  >   >œœ .. œ˘œ œœ̆ œ˘œ œœ J # ˘œ >œ œ . # œ J

# >œ .

>œ .

œ > œ œ j œ bœ œ   

œ œ œ >œ œ   œ 

œ œ >œ>œ œ œ  

œ œ >œ œ   œ  œ œ 

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ >>> œ>œ .. œ˘œ œ. œ. > >œ # >˙ . n ˘œ œ̆

> œ œ > œ œ > œ > œ #œ > œ œ > œ >#œ #œ > œ œ > œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ œ

To the men, women and children who were brutally murdered in Syria Commissioned by the International Beethoven Project

11. For Syria

œ œ œ. œ- . œ œ œ œ. 12 & 8 ∏ 12 & 8 œ. bœ. q. = 50

Mohammed Fairouz

, U œ.

œ Nœ œ bœ œ œ. œ bœ œ œ œ p∏ U œ œ bœ œ œ. œ bœ œ.

œ. œ œ œ. œœœœ Aœ.

œ- . œ. bœ.

œ bœ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ p œ œœœ bœ œ œ bœ œ

œ n œ œ. œ œœ ∏ Œ.

œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ rit.

∑

œ- . ◊

& œ.

˙.

œ.

œ- . ◊

-̇ .

œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. # œ . œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ &

q. = 40

& ˙.

œ- . ◊

&œ

j #œ ˙.

j œ #œ.

œ.

j œ- œ- œ . ◊

Œ.

Commissioned by Murna Cook for Nicholas Phillips

12.

4 œ & 4 ˙. pgentle 4 ∑ &4

œ œ œ. œ ˙ J

q = 60

& &

ww-

∑

˙-̇

˙˙ ∑

∑

ww œœ œœœœ œ œ

ww w

wwœ

œ œ œ œ œœ œœœœ œœœ œœœœ œ œ #œ nœ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

œœ b œ& œ

j bœ

& nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ &



w ww

˙˙

U , ww-

Mohammed Fairouz

œ. œœ ..

œ ww œœ w J

j bœ

œ œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ w ww

b œ- .

∏

œ- .

œ-

œ œ œ œ œ œ n œ œ ˙. ˙˙ ..

œ œœ

˙. ˙˙ .. p œ ˙ ˙˙

œ œœ œœœ œœœœ ˙ ˙˙

œ œ œ & œœœ œœœœ œœœ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ #œ #œ

To the memory of Trayvon Martin, respectfully

13. America Never Was America to Me after Langston Hughes

, U w ˙ b˙ œ ˙ œ œ bw

q = 72 freely

?4 4 ?4 4

b w- œ œ œ #˙ J J ppgrim œ b˙ œ

? 44 nb wœ œ œ b œ œ J J p ? 44 œ #œ œ œ accel.

54 n œw œ œ b œ ˙ œ J J p 45 œ #œ œ œ œ

b œœ. œœ œœ œœ. œœ- .. œœ b œœ. œœ œœ œœ. œ œ b œ b œ œ œ œ œ ? 45 ‰ 44 ‰ J J p p ? 45 44 œ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ œ

b œ- ˙-̇ ?bœ

? œ- -̇

œœ- œœ- b b œœ- œœœ- œ-

˙-̇ ..

∏ œ- œ- b n œœ-

œ œ◊

4 4

4 œ 4 œ-

Mohammed Fairouz

b w- œ w œ 4 n œ œ b œ œ 45 n œ œ œ b œ ˙ 4 J J J J p p seething 5 4 4 œ #œ œ 4 œ #œ œ œ œ œ

q = 120 b œœ. œœ œœ œœ. œœ- .. œ b œ b w œ 44 n œ œ œ b œ œ ‰ œ J J J p p 44 œ #œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ

œœ- ..

. . b œœ œœ b œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ- .. J ‰ p œ

#œ œ

b w> œ b w> œ œ b œ œ 45 œ J J J > > (furious) œœ œ œ b œ 5 & œ b œ œ 4 œœ >œ >

œ ? œœ

>œ ◊

b œœ- ˙-̇ b 45 π 54 œ- -̇

45 45

œœ- œœœ- œ-

b ˘œ ˘œ œ bœ œ nœ œ J

4 4

b œœ b œœ n œœ ? 44 >

& b œœ

Commissioned by the Mondavi Center for the Young Artists Competition

The Rogues Gallery (Piano Miniatures 14-17)

wwwwwww & 44 w π (cold and distant) 4 ∑ ∑ &4

wwww

q = 50

 œ œ b œ # œ œ ‰ j & œ(√) ˙˙˙ 11 & ˙ b œ& J

b œ-

œœœ- œœœœ œ

√ œ b œ- œJ

wwww

œœœ- œœœœ œ

˙˙˙ ˙

∏ √ b œ œ œ- œ‰ b œJ

˙˙˙ ˙

œœœœ

‰ b œJ œœœœ

#œ  ‰ b œJ œ œ œ œ # œ

Mohammed Fairouz

wwww

- ‰ jb œ œ œ œ b œ-

∑

√ ˙˙˙˙

www7 & w

14. Mr. Freeze

wwww

œœœ- œœœœ œ

˙˙˙ ˙

√ b œ œ œ- œ-

œœœ œ π œ

 œ œ œ- œœ ‰J

- ‰ jb œ œ œ œ b œ-

‰ b œJ

√ b œ œ œ- œ-

˙˙˙˙

œœœ œ

œœœ ˙˙˙œ ˙

œœœ œ

-̇

œ

-̇

œ

15. Scarecrow

Mohammed Fairouz

œ bœ œ nœ œ #œ bœ nœ œ bœ œ nœ bœ œ nœ #œ œ bœ œ nœ œ #œ bœ nœ œ bœ œ nœ bœ œ nœ #œ

q = 152

4 &4 4 &4 5

∑

>œ > b œ n œ œ bœ nœ œ #œ bœ œ nœ œ #œ bœ nœ ∑

& 9

>œ

>œ n œ b œ bœ nœ œ #œ

& nœ. bœ. >

œ. œ >.

œ œ >

f nœ. bœ. >

>œ

œ. œ >.

>œ

> bœ œ nœ bœ œ nœ #œ

nœ. bœ. >

œ œ >

∑

œ. œ >.

œ œ >

>œ

> bœ œ nœ œ #œ bœ nœ

nœ. bœ. >

œ. œ >.

œ œ >

>œ n œ >œ œ b œ b b œ œ # œ œ œ nœ bœ œ #œ nœ nœ bœ nœ #œ nœ bœ œ bœ

nœ. bœ. >

œ. œ >.

œ œ >

nœ bœ >



Nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ œ nœ bœ œ Nœ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ & p ∑ ∑ &

Two-Face 16a. Harvey Dent

Mohammed Fairouz

# œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ # œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ # œ # œ . œ œ œ . œ. . # œ 4 œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œœ œœœ #œ & 4 #œ J J p flowing gently œ ∑  œ ∑ & 44 q = 80

# œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ # œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ # œ # œ . œ œ œ . œ. . # œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ #œ œœ œœœ & #œ J J

#œ #œ #œ

#œ

#œ #œ #œ

? Œ

#œ

#œ œ

∑

œ œ. #œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ .œ œ .œ œ œ. # œ # œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ # œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ J J ˙

∑

& 10

∑

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

#œ œ

#œ #œ #œ

#œ

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

pure and upright

# œ◊

-̇

# # # www -

16b. Two-Face q = 72

?4 Œ 4

# œ œ n œœ p (darkly)

bœ œ œ

? wœ- b œ œ œ

b b œœ n n >œœ & nœ ƒ bœ



bœ  bœ > ◊ 

Mohammed Fairouz

Œ p

# œ œ n œœ

b œœ b œœ b œœ n œœ b b œœ 5



b˙ b˙ ◊ n >œ n n œœ



# ˙˙ # ˙-

ww Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ƒ p Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ? (n œ ) n ww w bœ Œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ bœ > ◊

>œ œ ? ˙˙ &œ ~~~~~~~~~ ƒ ? œ œ #œ #œ > ◊

>œ œœ œ œ >

wœ b œ œ œ

œ # >œ œœ # # œœ #œ #œ >

œ œ >

wœ b œ

? ˙˙ (b œ )

>œ n >œ œœ n n œœ

# >œ # œœ

>œ œœ

œ # >œ >œ n >œ # >œ œœ # # œœ œœ n n œœ œ #œ

˙ ˙˙

œ œ >

#œ #œ >

œ œ >

#œ #œ >

œ œ >

œ œ

17. The Riddler Mohammed Fairouz

q = 160

7 &8

∑

# >œ > >œ # œ # >œ Œ

∑

f ? 7 # œ˘ œ̆ n œ˘ œ̆ œ̆ b œ˘# œ˘ # œ˘ œ̆ n œ˘ œ̆ œ̆ b œ˘# œ˘ # œ˘ œ̆ n œ˘ œ̆ œ̆ b œ˘# œ˘ # œ˘ 8 # >œ

# >œ

œ˘ œ & J ? # œ˘ œ̆ n œ˘ œ̆ œ̆ b œ˘ # œ˘

#œ œ

>œ #œ œ

& #œ nœ œ œ bœ #œ  œ      j ? # >œ œ #œ œ > 

œ˘ œ J ˘ ˘ ˘ ˘ # œ œ̆ n œ œ̆ œ̆ b œ # œ

>œ œ

#œ œ

>œ #œ œ

>œ œ

# >œ

#œ œ

#œ

>œ

Œ.

˘ œ̆ b œ˘ ˘ n œ œ̆ #œ œ̆

>œ

j #œ #œ œ nœ œ œ bœ #œ     ˘ ˘ ˘ ˘ > # œ œ̆ n œ œ̆ œ̆ b œ # œ # œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ̆ > #œ J >

#œ œ nœ œ œ bœ #œ #œ œ nœ œ œ bœ #œ #œ œ nœ œ œ bœ #œ                     ˘ ƒ #œ > > # œœ œœ J? . ∑ Œ Œ & #œ #œ #œ #œ > 

& #œ nœ œ œ bœ #œ  œ     ˘ #œ > > # œœ œœ J? ? & #œ #œ >

#œ œ nœ œ œ bœ #œ #œ œ nœ œ œ bœ #œ #œ œ nœ œ œ bœ #œ       ˘            # œ sffp > > # œœ œœ .. # œœ œœ- œœ .. ? # œ œ J # # œ œ #œ & #œ #œ #œ > >