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Piano – 14 min. Dedicated to Tom Constanten and Joe Kubera

This work was requested by the pianist, Yvar Mikashoff and was a tribute to the abstract expressionist painters and how their work was reflected by composers. It is in three movements:

I. The Hamptons (Jackson Pollock lived there as did others – the members of the New York Action School composers)

II. The Rabbi (Mark Rothko – Morton Feldman with a wink of an eye to Erik Satie)

III. The Mystic (Mark Tobey – John Cage)

Cedar Tavern Cover

Cedar Tavern, near Washington Square in New York City, is where the abstract expressionists were known to hang out and many associated composers and interested figures joined. When the piece was composed, it was still open and the cover is a drawing by Michel Jaffrennou of their matchbook.

The first movement is a ‘translation’ of a Pollock painting in which each colour has a motif. White is the prominent colour on the painting and recycles the melody of my student piece, La Phase. Others are added ad libitum by the pianist (some have written out their parts).

This movement was also published in Helga de la Motte-Haber’s book Musik und Bildende Kunst (Laaber: Laaber Verlag, 1990, p. 169).

Cedar Tavern – first movement

The contrasting second movement is mainly very calm and slow (thus Feldman) with a subtle melody (thus Satie) but does erupt internally.

The final movement is repetitive but not quite including some pentatonic passages influenced by Indonesian gamelan music. It involves modest preparations (done between the two final movements) and thus is inspired by Cage’s prepared piano.

Joe Kubera performing Cedar Tavern

The full Cedar Tavern score