Supernova Blues

Supernova Blues is a 6-minute work for piano exploring the process of dissolution.  A singular idea, first presented as a funky bass line in the left hand juxtaposed against obsessive repeating chords in the right hand, begins the work with unceasing energy and perpetual motion.  The two parts volley unpredictably as the rhythmic foundation constantly shifts between groups of 3, 4, 6 and 7 notes.   At the apex of this first section, a new section begins, and the music suddenly morphs into something much more grandiose as the range expands and short pauses are introduced to allow the sonorities to ring.  Throughout the second section the pauses expand and there is a thinning of the atmosphere until just a single chord remains.  From this point, the third and final section presents the barest essence of the materials from the previous two sections in an eerie air of stillness that captures the entirety of the music heard before in a manner akin to recollecting a dream.  The title, “Supernova Blues”, comes from a dual perspective in creating this work; the material itself, which has certain qualities related to the blues, and the gradual dissolution of high-intensity energy throughout the work reminiscent of the same process in supernovas.  “Supernova Blues” was commissioned by the National Society of Arts and Letters.