2006

Fairy Tales

for Solo Piano

“Fairy Tales” was commissioned by the Renée B. Fisher Foundation for performance at the thirtieth annual Renée B. Fisher Piano Competition. The music seeks to capture the mysterious magic of fairy tales without referencing any particular stories. The piece is essentially a rondo, whose refrain continually evolves, often borrowing material from the preceding episodes. The piece offers some contemporary challenges to talented young players, including tonal ambiguity, complex rhythms, shifting meters, use of the sostenuto pedal, and one instance where the pianist may elect to play an optional additional three measures.