Anna Dreams of Mazurkas

PROGRAM NOTE:

Anna Dreams of Mazurkas was written for pianist Anna Kijanowska, for inclusion in her Mazurka Project. My brief dance begins with a slowish, dreamy kujawiak that morphs into and touches on faster mazur and oberek expressions (these being the three main “types” of mazurka that appear in Chopin and Szymanowski, among others). While composing the work, I allowed the music to evolve naturally and without premeditation, in the manner of an improvisation; after brief excursions, the music repeatedly returns to the dreamier mood and tempo of its beginning. Throughout, elements of traditional mazurkas are ubiquitous: the raised (Lydian) fourth scale degree, changing accents (mostly on weak beats), droning perfect fifths.