Piano Concerto No.2
[AA difficulty, c.21:00]
“For some time I have been interested in creating music that embraces world concepts, primarily and perhaps simply because I like many aspects of musics from other cultures in addition to the music of my Western European upbringing. Beyond that, however, I’m interested in producing a style that is somewhat universal in impression without copying or poorly imitating musical practices of other cultures. And being an American composer during these times [1990s] seems particularly relevant to the challenge. Thus, in this concerto, a pentatonic or 5-note scale (the scale type used more than any other by cultures throughout the world) is the pitch source; simultaneous variations (non-Western) and chordal progression (Western) are companion textures; passages using few pitches over an extended period of time (non-Western) are contrasted with passages using many pitches (Western); and so on. All of this is placed within traditional Western structures: Variations and Hymn, Rondo, and Fugue. The concerto received second prize at the Coups de Vents international wind band music competition held in Le Havre, France, in 1994.