“Sensual, other-worldly, expressive and showcasing his rich harmonic pallet, they are freely tonal and transcend any sense of measured time. This is gorgeous piano music.”
A La Orilla Azul Del Silencio ('On the Blue Shore of Silence')
Solo Piano. BSM0027.
Duration: 25:00
Commissioned by the Barlow Endowment for New Music at BYU.
Premiered by Mark Tollefsen.
Professional Recording available here.
- Llueve (It Rains)
- Flores en la Luz (Flowers in the Light)
- Una Palpitación de Estrellas Pálidas (A Palpitation of Pale Stars)
- ¿Ahí Está el Mar? (Is the Sea There?)
- ¡Fue tan bello vivir cuando vivías! (It was beautiful to live when you lived!)
Description
Notes by Scott Holden © 2014.
Pew’s five-movement, 25-minute suite A la Orilla Azul Del Silencio ('On the Blue Shore of Silence') was inspired by the last poems of Pablo Neruda. Sensual, other-worldly, expressive and showcasing his rich harmonic pallet, they are freely tonal and transcend any sense of measured time. This is gorgeous piano music. "Llueve” ('It Rains') is almost hallucinogenic as it slowly undulates around the same C for 5 minutes, while other lines sensually swim around it. Pew writes well for a pianist’s hands, once the hand crossing choreography has been worked out. The language is luminous and chromatic, with just enough hints of tonality to help juxtapose the incredible harmonic shifts. His sonic approach to the keyboard here has its ancient roots in Debussy’s pianism, demanding hushed pianissimo dynamics and a non-teleological approach to development. The writing is without bar lines or meter; the rubato effects are cleverly calculated through spatial notation. Pew has a unique voice that is sure to connect with audiences, while saying something fresh, profound and meaningful."
