Anapestes

PROGRAM NOTE:

An anapestes, according to Roland Barthes, was a speech by the Ancient Greek chorus leader to his theatrical audience, and occurred as the second main piece in Old Greek Comedy’s “parabasis.” My Anapestes makes extensive use of the anapestic foot (a short-short-long rhythm), and presents the pianist, with a declamatory character, as the chorus leader. Practically by accident, there is an interesting pianistic trick at work in this piece, as well: the right hand plays almost exclusively on the white keys, while the left plays almost exclusively on the black.