Doppelgänger [2017]
For two pianos
Duration: ca. 13'
For two pianos
Duration: ca. 13'
Listen to an excerpt of the premiere:
Commissioned by Piano Spheres for HOCKET
First performance: May 23, 2017, Zipper Concert Hall, Colburn School
When HOCKET and I first discussed collaborating on a piece, I knew right away that I wanted to write for two pianos. I was intrigued by the idea of these two instruments playing simultaneously and immediately settled on the concept of Doppelgänger as the title and organizing principle for the work.
When composing, I often wonder how my musical choices might change depending on my mood, time of day, etc., and this piece gave me the opportunity to explore the notion of the same music played two different ways at the same time – for instance, one piano might play a note with a short, sharp attack, while the other played the same note softly and repeatedly with sustain. To further highlight this difference, there is a timbral effect added to one of the pianos: weighted foam mutes (which we decided to call "Doppelsqueegees") are placed on certain strings to create a distant, dulcimer-like sound.
First performance: May 23, 2017, Zipper Concert Hall, Colburn School
When HOCKET and I first discussed collaborating on a piece, I knew right away that I wanted to write for two pianos. I was intrigued by the idea of these two instruments playing simultaneously and immediately settled on the concept of Doppelgänger as the title and organizing principle for the work.
When composing, I often wonder how my musical choices might change depending on my mood, time of day, etc., and this piece gave me the opportunity to explore the notion of the same music played two different ways at the same time – for instance, one piano might play a note with a short, sharp attack, while the other played the same note softly and repeatedly with sustain. To further highlight this difference, there is a timbral effect added to one of the pianos: weighted foam mutes (which we decided to call "Doppelsqueegees") are placed on certain strings to create a distant, dulcimer-like sound.