Ballade (2014)
Winner of the 2014 Robert Starer Award in Composition
Selected by pianist Jai Jeffreyes and recorded on his album, Amethyst.
Performer:
Grace Prestamo, piano
Program Notes:
Chopin was the first to use the title “Ballade” for a medium-length, single movement piano work. Many composers, from Liszt to Debussy to Perle, have written works in this genre of Chopin’s invention, each inspired by (and indebted to) the innovations of his remarkable four. The flowing, narrative quality of these works has been commented on by many performers and analysts, and this was the type of piece that I set out to write. I did not have a specific program in mind, but I knew that I wanted to take the listener on a transformative journey through a rich musical landscape.
Chopin’s structural care and innovations of form were probably also in the back of my mind as I sought to create a work that is through-composed, but tightly knitted together. My own Ballade reflects my deep love for the great body of classical piano literature, as well as an affection for musical storytelling. I hope that you will be inspired with a story as you listen.
Writing this piece was both a terribly exhausting and wonderfully rewarding experience. Ballade is dedicated with love to my sister, Grace.