Preludes Book I (No. 1-9) for Solo Piano by Keane Southard

Keane Southard

Preludes For Piano

Book I (No. 1-9)

(2007-12) (Duration: c. 20 mins.)

Program notes: Prelude No.1 for piano was written in the summer of 2007. This prelude is in a jazz style partially influenced by Gershwin and Kapustin.

Prelude No. 2 for piano was written in the 2008 and represents my first attempt at 12-tone composition, although I don't really employ it in the traditional way. Instead, the “drops� create an atmosphere much more akin to Debussy than to the second Viennese school.

Prelude No.3 for piano was inspired by listening to the player piano studies of Conlon Nancarrow. Not only was I astonished by the dense polyphony and his rhythmic exploration, but also in his use of extremely fast chromatic glissandi. The glissando is one of my favorite musical gestures, but I have used it sparingly in my piano compositions because, frankly, they hurt! Many a time have I had bleeding under my cuticles because of practicing too many glissandi!

And that is only from white-key glissandi! Black-key glissandi hurt more, and chromatic glissandi are just not even worth trying.

However, one day I was practicing piano and put my right hand in the sleeve of my sweatshirt, and I realized this way I could do extremely fast glissandi, and that the sleeve protected my hand from being hurt while performing black-key and chromatic glissandi. Plus this produced a sound very much like Nancarrow's player piano glissandi.

I eventually found that wearing a glove that creates little friction against the keys works the best, and then I set out to write a piece exploring the possibilities of this otherwise unattainable and unexploitable sound.

Prelude No.4 for piano was written in a single day in July of 2009, while attending the Northeastern University Fusion Arts Exchange.

Everyone had been given an assignment to compose a solo piece to bring in and share the next day in class. I am a self-admitted slow composer, so I thought this task daunting. However, I had had this piano piece brewing in my head in which I'd explore this figure of a double neighbor black grace notes to every white note. It is a figure that is very easy to play, yet very characteristic and effective. When playing around with it, I somehow began playing the tune of Stephen

Foster's “O Susanna!” with these figures (and it happened to work that if you play the tune in G major, you don't use any black keys).

The result was a kind of American folky etude that kept tripping over itself, hence the subtitle. I sat down and wrote it out in a matter of hours that day.

Prelude No.5 for piano was written in the fall of 2009. This is a short virtuosic etude-like prelude that is focuses around a repeated C#.

Prelude No. 6 for piano was written in late 2010 as an exploration of using the 12-tone technique within a tonal/chromatic context.

Prelude No. 7 for piano was written in 2010 and explores the use of “perfect” intervals (Perfect 4ths and their inversions, Perfect 5ths) combined with a gentle ostinato in the right hand throughout.

Prelude No. 8 for piano was written in the spring of 2011. It is an extremely chromatic “moto perpetuo” and an exercise in alternating hands.

Prelude No.9 for piano was written in 2012 while in residency at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts in Nebraska City, NE. Like my Prelude No. 3, it is an exploration of piano glissandi using a glove on one hand. This time, I use it in the context of a tango, written in response to a “call for scores” by Vox Novus for one-minute modern tangos. The musical material is based upon a rock song that I wrote when I was younger.

Keane Southard 2012

Performance instructions: 1. Unless otherwise indicated, the damper pedal should be used discreetly to allow for maximum clarity.

2. In Prelude No. 2, the sustain pedal and the soft pedal should both be held down for the entire duration of the piece.

3. Prelude No. 2 is written on three staves, where the top staff always uses a treble clef with a small “eight” (8) on top of it, which designates that all music written on that staff should be played an octave higher than notated.

4. Prelude No. 2 is written with proportional notation, where the space between dashed-barlines indicates three seconds and each note is supposed to be performed according to its horizontal position in the “measure”.

5. In Prelude No. 2, an accidental only applies to the note that immediately follows.

6. In Prelude No. 3 and 9, the pianist must wear a glove, that will slide on the keys with little friction, on their right hand for the entire piece. The gloved hand will only perform glissandi and clusters.

7. In Prelude No. 3 and 9, the top two staves are reserved for the right hand, while the lowest staff is for the left hand, in general.

8. In Prelude No. 3 and 9, there are three different kinds of glissandi used in the piece: white-key, black-key, and chromatic (black and white-key). White-key glissandi are indicated by a large natural sign at approximately the midpoint of the glissando line, black-key glissandi are indicated with a large sharp sign at the same spot, and chromatic glissandi are indicated with both a natural and sharp sign. There is also a footnote on the first page of No. 3 and on the upper-left corner of the first page of No. 9 to clarify this as well.

9. In Prelude No. 3 and 9, a note with a triangle note-head indicates the highest pitch possible on the instrument.

10. In Prelude No. 3 and 9, notes inside parentheses indicate that it is the approximate pitch to begin or end a glissando.

11. In Prelude No. 3 and 9, all clusters are indicated by a thick black line. White-key clusters are indicated by a large natural sign in front of them, and black-key clusters by a large sharp sign. “Sim.” indicates that successive clusters are the same in terms of their black/white-ness. In addition, all clusters, are approximate in their pitches and should be performed in the general register indicated.

12.In Prelude No. 9, notes with “x” noteheads indicate a snap of the fingers for the left (non-gloved) hand only.

13.The preludes may be performed in any order and combination.

The order was simply determined by the completion of each prelude, and do not necessarily reflect the best order for performance.

Keane Southard/Spindrift Pages Email: keane.southard@hotmail.com Website: keanesouthard.instantencore.com

Prelude No. 1 q = 108 With lots of flair and "on the edge of your seat"

Keane Southard

(Jazz)

                                        ff    mp                                                    

f ferocious!



   

7

                                      









                 

                                                                       



                    

sfz

mp

13



   

19



   

                                    





           

    mp                       

                           f f mp                                                             

     

25



              f

                             ©2007

                                                  

2

           30                                         



                             

         

    

     

  

                                                                 

34



 

 



                                       ff

            

 

  

   



       

    chords repeated    as fast as possible         

  

s.



                  

   

glis

          

39





.

   

iss

      

gl



p

       

                                                                p subito                                                                  

44

3

   

49

     

         p

                                          

sfz                                                         pp                   sfz

mp

                                                                         dim. pp

55

                                                                                                      

62



                                  

         ppp         

      

 

sffz



      

Prelude No. 2 (Drops)

   

 ppp

  (Bb)

3''

 



sempre una corda sempre 

 (B)

8

 

  











  



 

15

 

    (ppp)     fff      





 

  



    fff  

 





(ppp)

 

     

(ppp) ©2008







 

 (C)



  



 

(ppp)

 









(chromatic cluster)

22

  





 

   (G#)

     





 



 



 







(A)



  





ppp



 



Keane Southard



 



 

29

 



   

 

   

   



(G)





(ppp)

    fff  

36



43

  

   

 

    

     fff     

 















 

 













 



  





 

      

  (Bb)



 50

ffff (ppp)



  

    fff  



       

 

(ppp)



       

 

        



(ppp)

    fff  



5



 15 ''



3'03''

Prelude No. 3 (Homage to Nancarrow)







 *  §





  l.h.{

    fff   

8



  

 p

§



14

 







 

#

 

                  f

mp

    

  

p

 



 

f 



§  





 

#







   f             mp

*§ = white-key glissando #= black-key glissando §# = chromatic glissando ©2009



 

 



 

 

pp





 





#

 





§

 mp       ff                





§

    

f





§

 

       



§





§

pp



# 







    fff     

f





§





      

 





fff











fff sempre per glissandi gliss.

{

r.h.

(with glove)



Keane Southard

q = 144

#







 

§   





#



7 20





 § 

  



31

§

  





   

§



#

 



#

  





 

#









 

# §

                 

    





   

# 

§

 

       



§

  





§

§

  

#

§#

















#

                     37      









  



 





# § # § # § # § #     



 







26











#

 

  

f

§

§

§

# 



#

 

#

§





§



#

#



#

 



§

  

# 

§

            

f



§



dim.

 



§

    mf   dim.                     ff       dim.              

  







                ff          

                                        

                                     

§ #





§ #





# §

                                                                     



§

            

8

43

  





#





 

pp

   





pp



 

  

§

§

 #

 §    

§





#



    

§



ppp





 

§



§



 



     

§

 

 





§

#





      



pp



 

 

§



 #

§ 



 

#

 #

#



 

 §

 

#





#

p



                                      

 

#

 #

#

 §

molto accel.

#

#    



  

 

 

#

#

#    



           

 

cresc. poco a poco

§

    

#







una corda

 

§ §



 

 

        p      

  § 56   

 



#

        



§ 

 §

 

#

 

pp

                

50

q=72



§

 §§    §  

 §      

§

mp

 §   §

   

tre corde

 

§

 

 



§

 § §    §  



9

61







§ 

 

§

 

     

66







  

   

§

§ §   §  

§

§

fff

§ §    § 



 

§

f

   

§

fff





  





§   §§   §  fff

fff

 

 



§

 

§

§ §   § 



 

§

§

§ §   § 

   







§

 





 #



 



 



  § §    §   

 



§







#    #   ##    

§#



  #

  





#    #   ##    



 §

§

ff

   

§ 

  §

 



§ 

§ 

§    §    §     § §    §§   §§   §§  § § §

 q = 144

§





   



§ 

§ §   § 



§ 

 

(h=144) 72



 

§



§ 



§ 

  

§

§ §   § 

mf



§ 

 



 §



§   §§    §    

 

10

 # 

78

   #       # #    #          

 § 



   §  § §    



§

 

 

 # 



    # ##  



#

     

  



rit.

§







§

   § § §    f

 # 

 #    # ##   

     

f



    





ff

      l.h.   l.h.  l.h.   l.h.  §   

ff

















 §  



q = 108

83



        § § §    



 §

 §

   

#

   ##

 #

 #



§ § § § § § § §    

              

  

rit.

         § §        §     § 

#§#§ #§ #§

ff

§§

 

  

as fast as possible

                ff                 (over r. h.) 



 



§§

 

   

A tempo



88

fff

 

§





        

§

  

ff

ff   



    







fff

  

§# 

     sfffz  

 

q = 60 con rubato

       

 

p    





   

Prelude No. 4

Keane Southard

(O Woozy Suzy!)





   



   

    

   

 







   



mf





   

 





 

 



            



3

q = 76 senza rubato

    

       3

accel.

5





   



                    



                



  

  

   

 

     



               

   





 



q = 100

8

 



         

   



    

 

                                 

6

ff

6

6

6

pp sub.

 6 6 6 6                                               

   6 6                      6 6  f 6 6                        6 6    

10

©2009



 

  6

 

6

    

             6  6





12 12

(e=40)

molto rit.

q = 50 Melancholy

                                                6

6

6

6

ff

p

                                           6

6

6

   



    



 



   

poco rit.    

15

 



 



 



 

 

   

   



   

  

 

 



16

 

  

mp

   

                 



   

  

 



   



6

14

  

   





  



   



 



  





                 3 3  3  3   

(e=46)

q = 144





 

    mf

p

        



   

p



 





 

simile





 



p

18













 

         

         

 

   



21

   



       





 

    

13  

    





 

mf

         

 

   











 







    

   

mf



   

 







  

              

p

p





mf





p











     

mf



      

 

 





 



p 23









 

    





   





25



27





  





   







   

 

 





 







    





      







  











   

 

   





         p





   





 











 





   





 



     

 







mf

  

 

p

mf

   

 







mf



 

 p





mf



f

   



 

  





  







  





    

 



    

 





14



29







   

  

31























  

 

















mf

         p





  

 

  

   



















35



   

  



37

 



 

   





 











          



   

 











 



 

  



             

   







 

   



 

     



 



      





  



   



 

 

 



mf

 











ff



   

 





  

  

 





   





 

 

 





 





                           



6

     





mp

          f



     

  

 



 

 

 





6





mf

                    p

   



   

 

p

33



p

mf









 





   

   



   

  



   

  

 





  

 



    

  

     

39



 



41

  

    

 

   

   

  



  

   

  

 



  

   

 

   

   



 

 

 



   

    



      

6

pp sub.

6

6

6



                          



  42  

6

6





6

                          



                        43  

6



ff



  

 

15

                          





 

  

     





 





fff





Prelude No. 5

Keane Southard

             f            simile                              h = 96

(Precision)



f

p

                                                         

5



 

  p

         

           f                         ff p                                               f    15         mp f                                             (l.h. loco)                             mp  mp    mp f         19    f                                               p                                                    mp   mp              

f

10





©2009

24

 



        ff

     

     





39







     



 



     

 



 

mp











     







     



     

  

 



        mf  



 

             mp

 

    pp



cresc.





17







 

   

 







     





 



 

    p  





 









        





 







        f

mp

ff

sos.

fff





    

       f

     

            

      

     

      

     







      

       f

43



       mf

      





      p



      

34

          



29





pp

     





simile      



 





 





      

f

 











                   p

ppp

18 47





 











 





   







    



mp





52

    

f



  

        ff      

  



         



    

fff

    



 fff

         fff

         



   

  

          

   





  



        

           



 

cresc.



fff





fff

 

         



   



fff



fff

  

         fff 



            



 

    

  

             fff      

           

fff

        



 

             cresc. 



    60          

 



          

56



           cresc.

ff

            ppp    ff     





 





  fff        

   



















 



 



fff

 









 

19

64

  













 

           



 







 



 



 



 



 



p

 



 



 



 







 







68



        f                                   



71





simile



        

 n



  

h = 40



ppp



 

 

h = 96

 fff                

Prelude No. 6  



 

q. = 76 Scherzando

 



f

 







mf

                

                  

4





Keane Southard

            

(12-tone)

  

      

p         



          f

                  mf



  

 p    

            

p

ff

                          mp mf                                                                   mp          

7

mf

rit.

    

10



 





       

                   

        

f

 

 

 

  

q. = 52 Cantabile p

 

                                               

12

     mp



espress.

  ©2009

     

  

  

21

                                                                                                  16 pp                                                  14



p          17                       



    

             





                                                                                                        20         18



mf

                                              p

           21                                                     

22

         

22



    

                                                          23                

      

     

         

      

      

24

    

                                                      

 25      

23

    

   

                                     26  

   

                                        

ff

                                                

  

      28                                                               

  

 

 



 

            

24

q. = 76

accel.

  

 

  

fff

      

 



         mp

33



f

   

      

35

mf



37

Scherzando

                                           f

30



      







    

           

     

f

       

     

               

              cresc.

     



  

   

   

 

     

 

                      

       

                         

       



fff

Prelude No. 7 (Perfect Ostinato)

Keane Southard

q = 44 3 5                

pp sempre

 

          



        

    



   

3

3

mf

 4

               

         3

                     



5

mf

10

              



3

     

      

 

        

3

  p

                               mp 3

p

3

                   

5

       

    mf

3

   



mp

7

       5

            3

5

 

 

5

  

pp

                              3

mf ©2010

            3

26

     

13

  

 

pp    

        3

3

5

 

                mf

mp

      

pp     

15

 

3

  

3

  

  5

 

 

17

              

3

 

5

 

                

  p

pppp

 

    

           

pp    

 

 

  mp

   

           



ppp 

3

3

 

3

  

 

mp



  

 

     

 

p sub.

 

3





     

(loco)

5

20

        f

    

 



         3

  

    

23

             3

          

mf

f

  

 

     

ppp

             3



   

    3

      

   





             

 

 

3

 

  

pp



 

 ppp

 28      





         

         3

   



 

 

  

 

 

as soft as possible



 

             5

    5

poco rit.

3

p

 

 

(loco)

 

3

    

5

 





 

     

pppp

  

    

  

 

 

      

  

   

26

    

      mp

 

        3

3

mf

   

 



                    

5

mp



5

  

27

q = 80

Prelude No. 8

Keane Southard

(Chromatic)

                                         f

                                         

2

mf

p

3

                                          ff

                                         

4

(p) 5

p

                                       



  



mf

6

                                          7

(p)

                                            ff

©2011

29

                                         

8



mf

  



p

mf

9

                                       



 

(p)

10

                                          ff

11

  

                          

                                        ff

12

p

13

p

pp

                                

pp

                                                       

14

f sub. (both voices)

30

                                                       

15

                                                    

16

ff

p sub.

ff p sub.

ff p sub.

ff p sub.

  17                                                                                                     

18

ff

pp sub.

                                                 

19

                                                   

20

 21                                    ff

                                          

22

p

mf

                                            

23

p

mf

31

                                   

24

p

mf

25

                                  p

mf

26

                                                          p

f

27

                                                            pp

28



molto  accel.



ff

  

                                p



29

                                

30

As Fast as Possible

  





        

(maintain top tempo)





fff

      

§ = white-key glissando #= black-key glissando §# = chromatic glissando

 

{   

l.h.

5



Keane Southard













snap fingers (l.h. only)

p

(Guante-ango)

   

                 



(highest note possible)



fff dramatic

gliss .

{

r.h. (with glove)

 

q = 100

Prelude No. 9

  

 

 

 

§#







  

                                                           3 3 mp                                   (highest cluster   possible) 8    #     §# §         #           p p   fff   # # sfz sfz               # p p sfz sfz                                      3     

(catch the overtones) ©2012

           sfz 

11

  p



#

mf



5                      

13

      fff

 

§

  §

          

        mf

 

 

(sim.)

 

    fff



#

  

       mf



f

§#

mf

  

mf

f

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

(senza ped!)

                  10  



 

 

      







10



 

             



mf



 



 

        # 



33

 

(sim.)

  

 (sim.)  §#   



(sim.)

15



p

sfz

 

 

# 

           5 

pp

 

pp

5

       

34

                                           

18

   

     

20



 



sffz





      

22



    



     

   

 



3

10

  

§#

   §#  §# sffz



sffz

sffz

 §# 

      

                            ff     ff           

                      

  



      

   

3

  

  3

 

23



                     

fff

      

fff

    

    



§#

   §#      

35

ffff

    ffff                      (this note, and the end of the gliss, should be one octave lower if played on a Bösendorfer)

0'58"