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A House of Pomegranates / Joseph Dillon Ford [notated music]

Title

A House of Pomegranates [notated music]

Composer

Ford, Joseph Dillon, 1952-2017

Place of Publication/Creation

Sherborn, MA

Published/Created

1998

Type of Material

notated music

Genre

notated music

Publisher

Joseph Dillon For

Distributor

https://www.sheetmusicplus.com/search?Ntt=joseph+dillon+for

Language

Unknown

Forms

electronic resource

remote

Physical Description

1 score (26 pages)

Media

unmediated

Carrier

volume

Contents Note

Piano solo. Composed by Joseph Dillon Ford. 21st Century, 20th Century, Impressionistic, Neo-Classical. Score. 26 pages.

Summary

Four vividly descriptive piano pieces after the fairy tales of Oscar Wilde in various late-romantic and impressionistic idioms. -- "In my musical interpretations of A House of Pomegranates, I have endeavored to reveal something of Wilde's multifaceted -- literary personality, which was alternately romantic and modern, sublime and earthy, brilliantly idealistic and grimly realistic. It -- is worth noting that in 1891, when Wilde published this collection, the world of keyboard music itself was no less diverse, for -- Albéniz, Brahms, Debussy, Grieg, and Scriabin were all actively engaged in composition. Rather than focusing on any particular -- "period style," I decided to allow each of the four pieces to take its own course, with the result that two--"The Young King" and -- "The Fisherman and His Soul"--are firmly rooted in the romantic tradition, while the remaining two--"The Birthday of the -- Infanta" and "The Star-Child"--anticipate (or recall) twentieth-century idioms, particularly 'impressionism'." -- The four movements are as follows: 1 "The Young King" [3/4, d, M+] -- "The Young King" is a "Presto" movement in the key of d minor, although its apotheosis-like conclusion leads to the parallel key -- of D major. The movement is in sonata-allegro form with an unusual development section that begins in the home key and -- proceeds as a fugal variant of the "royal" opening theme of the exposition. Remote modulations and pervasive horn fifths lend -- characteristic harmonic color to this fanciful tableau, which summons to mind both Wilde's poignant tale and the age of -- chivalry. -- 2 "The Birthday of the Infanta" [various meters, C-sharp, D] -- "The Birthday of the Infanta" is a pianistic representation of the fatal infatuation of a court dwarf for a Spanish princess on the -- occasion of her twelfth cumpleaños. The composition is in A-B-A' form, with a wistful middle section depicting the dwarf's -- sufferings that starkly contrasts with the grotesquely animated party music with which the piece begins and ends. The -- harmonic material remains highly volatile throughout, although cadences intermittently clarify the overal tonal center of Csharp -- major. -- During the reign of Philip IV, little people were retained at the royal palace to serve and entertain the king and his family, as -- brilliantly depicted by the painter Diego Velásquez in numerous pictures. These diminutive comedians did much to alleviate the -- stiff formality of daily aristocratic life, although their privileged position could hardly have been just compensation for the -- ridicule to which they were routinely subjected as court jesters and buffoons. -- 3 "The Fisherman and His Soul" [12/8, f-sharp, M] -- "The Fisherman and His Soul" is a through-composed song-without-words in f-sharp minor marked "Allegro tranquillo." Its -- seaside setting is evoked by gently shimmering figuration and flowing arpeggios in twelve-eight time, which lend textural unity -- to the piece and gently support the principal melodies. In the first phrase, the fisherman summons the mermaid in his basso -- voice, to which she responds in the treble with a similarly falling line. They dialog briefly before she slips again into the sea and -- the fisherman reluctantly bids her farewell. -- 4 "The Star-Child" [3/4, b-dorian, E] -- "'The Star-Child' is written in the ancient Dorian mode on B, with a raised G-sharp for its sixth degree that instantly -- distinguishes it from the natural minor scale. Although the meter given is three-four, the performer is advised to imagine the -- entire piece as an extraordinarily soft, seamless "golden tissue" without strong metrical accents. The atmosphere is one of cool, -- quiet serenity, just as it was in the winter woods where the Star-Child slept before his discovery by the woodcutters. This is my -- Requiem for Oscar Wilde, whose timeless genius I commemorate by calling for the endless repetition of the entire piece, each -- time more softly than before, as his light ascends ever higher into the night sky. I realize that this may well be the longest and -- most difficult work ever conceived for the piano, and that such a performance is frankly impossible for us mere mortals. -- Nevertheless, I can imagine no better way to embody the ideal of 'Art for Art's Sake,' and encourage all who choose to perform -- 'Star-Child' to come as close to its attainment as humanly possible."

Notes

Piano.

ISMN with hyphens: 979-0-58063-022-3

Description based on ISMN data provided by the publisher.

Music notation

Staff notation.

Subjects

Sonatas

Suites

International Standard Music Number (ISMN)

9790580630223

Last Updated: 03-26-2022