White Granite (2010)

Premiere
July 11 2010
Peter Zazofsky, violin
William Fekenheuer, viola
Michael Reynolds, cello
Michelle Levin, piano
St. Timothy's Summer Music Festival
Georgetown Lake, MT

Composer Note
White Granite (Piano Quartet) was commissioned by St. Timothy's Festival Summer Music Festival (in Montana), Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival (in Colorado) and LaJolla Music Society for SummerFest (in California) and was given its world premiere in Georgetown Lake, Montana, on July 11th, 2010 by violinist Peter Zazofsky, violist William Fekenheuer, cellist Michael Reynolds, and pianist Michele Levin.

The 17-minute work is a piece that I enjoyed writing. As a pianist, having the piano present always gives me comfort. The piano, in fact, probably generates most of the background action in the piece — starting with the harmony in the first few measures and continuing with the different motoric ideas that are introduced gradually throughout the piece. In between, there are solos for the other instruments that involve either a falling line (which eventually becomes a rising line) or a "held in place" idea.

Sometimes, all three string instruments are working together to enhance the two kinds of different "actions." Register and color are also being either generated or enhanced by the presence of the piano. It provides a wonderful environment to the three strings in its ability to provide an "orchestral" type of amplified sound.

— Joan Tower