Scherzo, Interrupted

ensemble solo piano
written summer 2024
duration 7-8 minutes

Commissioned by Dr. Mark Stevens

I have been increasingly interested in glitches, mistakes, and interruptions in my recent work. It can often be dazzingly entertaining to see such flubs in today’s era of near-lifelike digital imagery, and as graphics still continue to improve, errors become more glaringly obvious. The sudden surrealism of a videogame character’s head suddenly vanishing is simultaneously bizarre and lovable, and I wanted to see how well one could channel that in the context of a purely acoustic piece for piano.

Scherzo, Interrupted is filled with such drop-of-a-hat transitions and unexpected tonal shifts. Modeled after the furious start-and-stop kineticism of Chopin scherzi (particularly the first), this piece reharmonizes and recontextualizes its simple motifs against wild tempo fluctuation, octave transpositions, and dynamic contrasts. I imagined the pianist as a glitching machine, chirping and stuttering over its programming to the point of comic absurdity.

Many thanks to Dr. Mark Stevens for commissioning the piece.