fin de cycle

fin de cycle

Ensemble: muted piano and digital media
Duration: 8 minutes

 

 

Reviews:

“The work contains strong piano writing, and begins with fascinating contrasts and interplays between the two media. Fewer timbral interchanges occur than one may expect, as the piece soon settles into a sort of “concerto” format, with acoustic piano playing the solo role and electronics serving as a shy accompaniment. The harmonic/melodic palate, ever avoiding tertian or extended harmonies or singable melodies, employs secondal and Viennese tritonal constructions, with frequent melodic repeated notes, consistent with Hindman’s style. The piece ends on a sudden electronic drop-off, implying there is no conclusion to this end of century dialogue.”
Carol Ann Weaver, “Compact Disc Reviews: Tapping the Furnace: Music by Dorothy Hindman, lnnova848 (2013),” IAWM Journal Volume 21, No. 1 2015, 44-45

“Dorothy Hindman’s piano and tape dialogue, fin de cycle, creates an engaging, conversational give-and-take in a variety of moods and textures. String plucking and other inside-the-piano devices added to her expansive sonic arsenal.”
~Michael Huebner, “Pianist Rob Conway,” The Birmingham News, Sunday, December 8, 2002

Program Notes:

fin de cycle (1997) refers to the French term, fin de siècle, meaning end of the century, and also suggests the compositional idea of the end of a process.  The piece employs a wide range of traditional and contemporary piano techniques, and also explores the relationship of piano to tape.  This relationship, sometimes antagonistic and sometimes complimentary, has  parallels to the continuously changing and developing relationship between live concert music and studio-produced music in our time.fin de cycle was written for pianist Laura Gordy.

Premiere: May, 1997
Laura Gordy, piano
“The Future is Here”
Thamyris New Music Ensemble
Atlanta, GA
Commissioner: Laura Gordy

Recordings:
Tapping the Furnace, innova Recordings – 848 – 2013, Distributed by Naxos USA
Places Not Remote, Living Artist Recordings No. 3, Distributed digitally wherever music is available