Work Overview
Pilgimage is my first piece for toy piano. I became interested in this instrument through my association with Antonietta Loffredo who has played and recorded my Birds Calling in Cloud Valley for piano (2010). Antonietta is a professional pianist based in Como (Italy). She also specialises in toy piano performance and has done extensive research on the history and repertoire of the toy piano.
Toy pianos come in different sizes. While intending to compose
some works for the Schoenhut 37-key (3 octave) grand version
which I have purchased, I wrote Pilgrimage for the
17-key Janod upright which has a very small range from C to the F
a perfect eleventh above. Of course, any piece written for this
small toy piano can be played on any of the larger-ranged models.
My idea for Pilgrimage, before I had a title for it, was
to write a series of short and simple two- part movements using
the medieval church modes. Initially I wrote one for each of the
modes (excluding the Ionian mode because it is the same as the
modern major scale). I then wrote six more movements, this time
using transpositions of these same six church modes. In the
second group of six, the Dorian mode is transposed to G;
the Phrygian to D; the Lydian to G, the Mixolydian to C; the
Aeolian to D; and the Locrian to D.
I thought most of the movements had a medieval music quality.
When I played them to my partner, Sue Boardman, and our niece,
Rosemary Gray, they both came up with titles suggesting various
activities. As Rosie had just returned from a Camino walk of 700
kilometres, I conceived the idea of calling the piece
Pilgrimage and relating their titles for the movements
to various activities along the pilgrimage route. There seemed to
be a remarkable coincidence between the titles and Rosie's
account of her experiences. Although the piece is written for toy
piano it is suitable for performance on piano if played an octave
higher.
Work Details
Year: 2015
Instrumentation: Toy piano.
Contents note: I. Idyll -- II. Water sprite -- III. Courtly dance -- IV. Folk dance -- V. Searching -- VI. Pilgrim's progress -- VII. Fellowship -- VIII. IX. The long march -- Distant bells -- X. Fiesta -- XI. Childplay -- XII. Meditation.
Dedication note: Dedicated to Antonietta Loffredo
User reviews
Be the first to share your thoughts, opinions and insights about this work.
To post a comment please login.