Melodic Piano Music Album

This is the ninth album of original piano music in a series of ten albums of piano improvisations which I recorded periodically and spontaneously throughout 2019, at Cape Town Sound Studios.

All 100 pieces were released in ten volumes in October 2019.

The naming scheme of this particular album utilizes some of the most highly searched metric SI prefixes on the internet.

The naming scheme has absolutely no correlation to the music, and was purely adapted for Google keyword search volume.

This choice was to satirically reflect on the naming schemes and lack of musical meaning in most modern-day compositions.

The purpose of the program notes below is not to be exhaustive, but rather to paint a general picture of the standout features of each improvisation.

Zepto・Improvised Aphorism

About the Improvisation・Program Notes

'Zepto' is the first movement of my fourth improvised suite in C Minor. It is an expressive aphorism which sets the tone nicely for the volume and suite. It contains varying moments, with many expressive motifs, some recurring rhythmically, but never identically melodically.

Many of its elements are referred back to by the movements to follow.

Nano・Improvised Aphorism

About the Aphorism・Program Notes

'Nano' is the second movement of my fourth improvised suite in C minor. Similar to Zepto, the first movement, it is an aphorism, and continues the expressive, contemplative dialogue set up by it.

Phrases are expressive and free in time and meter. Features include sequences, and recitative-like rhythms.

Micro・Improvised Aphorism

About the Track・Program Notes

'Micro' is the third movement of my fourth improvised suite in C minor. It is the third consecutive aphorism which furthers the narrative created by the first two movements.

The free and expressive quality of these works is typical of my most natural improvisatory style.

Each moment flows into the next, without regard for repetition or reference. They can be likened to moment forming, without a regard to the level of variation between moments.

Centi・Improvised Interlude

About the Composition・Program Notes

'Centi' is the fourth movement of my improvised suite in C minor.

It is a tranquil interlude which utilizes an ostinato accompaniment figure in the right hand, which occurs in the high register of the piano.

Underneath is a theme which continues throughout the work. It sustains its dreamy timbre throughout.

Deci・Improvised Prelude

About the Prelude・Program Notes

'Deci' is the fifth movement of my fourth improvised suite in C minor.

It is a dramatic, and heartrending work in 3/4 time with two alternating themes on either side of an arpeggio figure.

The upper theme is usually a chordal texture, while the lower theme is a single line.

The contains two intermediary sections, which reference back to the more free sound of the first three aphorisms in the suite.

The first intermediary section gives way to a refrain, while the second gives way to the movement to follow.

Deka・Improvised Contemplation

About Deka・Program Notes

'Deka' is a meditative ostinato which is mainly focused on the harmonic development of its motif, which is the expanding of seconds to thirds.

It is slow and thoughtful, with plenty of rubato.

Phrase endings are met with a contemplative silence, and a lift of the pedal. It is the sixth movement of my fourth improvised suite in C minor.

Giga・Improvised Meditation

About the Meditation・Program Notes

'Giga' disguises itself as a replica of the ideas explored in 'Deka', the previous movement of the suite.

Descending and ascending sequences of chordal resolutions comprise the body of the work.

Each long phrase of resolutions is interrupted by two large tonal quintal chords. In the middle section, the main idea is broken away from, and a more melodic section takes over.

This section concludes with offbeat accented harmonization in 5ths, which resolve onto the same quintal chords as before, giving way to the refrain, with variation.

Each phrase of chordal resolution explores a different  register of the piano. Giga is the seventh movement of my fourth improvised suite in C minor.

Tera・Improvised Gigue

About the Piano Improvisation・Program Notes

'Tera' is a micro-rhythmically altered gigue which contains a continuous contrapuntal rhythmic motif between the hands; harmonically altered throughout.

The rhythm is unbroken, as it moves up and down the piano, until the end of the piece, where it suddenly ends on an unresolved chord, giving way to the movement to follow.

Tera is the eighth movement of my fourth improvised suite in C minor.

Exa・Improvised Fantasy

About the Piece・Program Notes

'Exa' is a serene and wondrous fantasy which explores broken chord figurations, arpeggios, sequences, and meterless melodic motifs.

It contains a referential phrase ending which is far removed from the home key. It begins as an obfustication of the motif from the previous movement, 'Tera', but quickly breaks away into new patterns, and the first introduction of the referential cadence. Exa is the ninth movement of my fifth improvised suite in C minor.

Zetta・Improvised Departure

About the Solo Piano Work・Program Notes

'Zetta' is the final movement of my fourth improvised suite in C minor.

It is an  expressive and reflective piece which integrates modality and chromaticism, like so many of my works.

It has multiple consecutive sections with no repeats.

It is an exploration of expression. It contains classic motivic references to many of the previous works in the set of 100 improvisations.

It climaxes near its end in an aching expansion of the preceding theme.

It dies down thereafter into its final modulation to and resolution in the major dominant key.