20 Worlds

Recordings




20 Worlds (Toccata VII) (2005)

(Samuel Vriezen)


Two pianists journey together through a circular universe of twenty possible worlds. The worlds appear and disappear one by one, echoed between the two piano parts, and up to four of them may be present at the same time in a gradually shifting multi-cultural mosaic of musical worlds.
 
In this piece, just as in the 5 extremely short "possible world" pieces I wrote in 2003, a 'world' is identified by a typical basic motivic gesture. Each 'world' varies on its basic gesture according to its own laws. These twenty worlds (Possible Worlds nr. 6-25?) are then intertwined to appear in eighty numbered sections. The eighty sections are arranged in a circular way: section 1 can follow section 80. The odd sections are only played by pianist I. Pianist II plays the even sections. Taken together, the odd and the even sections make use of the same material.
 
20 Worlds is dedicated to Dante Oei. If not for the many conversations we've had about Cage, Xenakis, Sibelius, etc. and his wonderful insights and intuitions about music, a piece like this would have been unlikely.
 
Samuel Vriezen
Amsterdam, october 19, 2005




Download 20 Worlds