Program Notes
Crystal Preludes is a collection of five years of experiments in my piano writing. Of the 12 preludes in this set, some are expansions of material that exist in earlier works (such as my Piano Trio, Godsongs, et al), some are preliminary sketches for future works, and some are that just ideas that need their own little space to unfold.
My first entry point into music was as a pianist. I know the piano repertoire in my bones, and I have a special love for the many sets of 24 preludes in the rep, from the Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, to Debussy’s Preludes, to (perhaps my favorite set) the Chopin Preludes. Many of the preludes in this set take seeds of inspiration from the pithy, brilliant works of those composers.
These pieces also reference specific Hindustani raags, and use many Indian classical techniques (see notes for each specific prelude at the end of the score).
While many of the preludes in this set do have a have a kind of sparkling, crystalline quality to them, that isn’t where the name comes from. The first three preludes I wrote from this set were for one of my oldest friends, pianist Crystal Rivette.
Recording
Recording is forthcoming. If you are interested in programming this work and would like to hear an archival recording, please request it through the contact form.
Premiere/Performances
Preludes I, II and IV premiered by Crystal Rivette at University of Southern California in 2020 (online concert)
Preludes VI and VII premiered April 20, 2024 at Music Institute of Chicago
Preludes V, VIII, IX, X, XI and XII premiered by Keval Shah at Flow Festival Helsinki, August 8, 2025
