Dreaming Cities: A Piano Trio
Category: Books,Arts & Photography,Music
Dreaming Cities: A Piano Trio Details
Review The Baltimore Sun calls Ferrante's music "focused and colorful...with an unexpected, decidedly poetic touch" and "ebullient and full of shifts of direction." "If the tune has the elegance of traditional opera, the harmonization is very modern as the vocal lines climb and descend the melodic staircases that Ferrante has constructed for them." Baltimore City Paper "Damon Ferrante is a star on the rise." The Ridgewood News"From the first few notes in the opening movement, one is immediately captivated; thrown into a musical landscape of mystery and passion, its melody satiates every perceptual organ in the body and the mind...and, without question epitomizes the intrigue of human expression, taken to its deepest depths by Ferrante." Stephan Dalal, WKCR-FM"Damon is a musical storyteller. He has a narrative gene that allows him to write music like a novelist." Daniel Mark Epstein, award-winning music writer Read more From the Author The Violin and Cello parts are included. Read more
Reviews
I came across Dreaming Cities: A Piano Trio while looking for some music to fill out one of my trio's programs for next season. We are playing Smetana and Haydn and needed something more modern to round out the performance. As a string player, I am an advocate for contemporary music; however, my trio wanted a piece that balances innovative ideas with melodic writing. We were all very happy to find this trio by Ferrante. It is an exciting and deeply meaningful piece.The first movement is the most florid. There are some great transitions where Ferrante uses pizz. figures and rolled chords for some very interesting and unusual effects. Near the end of the movement, fast, double trills in the piano create an orchestral sonic backdrop, while the strings play upper register melodies. This is my favorite part! The music really soars.The second movement is hauntingly beautiful. The theme is varied and turned into a piano accompaniment. In my opinion, the movement has a feeling that evokes loss or sorrow. Most of the melodies fade and disappear into the musical fabric. At the end of the movement, the piano plays 4 "A"s in the middle and upper range. This is very effective and dramatic. On several occasions, I have heard audience members gasp in a kind of wonderment at this moment.The third movement has a fun, syncopated quality, which changes the mood of the piece and creates a dance-like atmosphere. In the middle, there is an effective transition, where the Stravinsky-like rhythms transform into an upwardly spiraling climax.The fourth movement is my favorite (maybe because of a long cello solo). The movement contains a lot of "cantabile" writing that is quite expressive and emotionally intense. To my ears, it feels like this movement is the conclusion of the trio, in many ways.The fifth movement reminds me of a coda. It is spirited and full of leaps. Plus, it draws things to a close with a bang.Dreaming Cities: A Piano Trio is written in a style that is, in many ways, tonal, though there is a lot of chromaticism. Damon Ferrante has a strong sense of musical architecture, drama, and texture. I can't think of a place in the trio where the music is just coasting or vamping. The music always feels like it is going somewhere. Sometimes, our trio has to "build in" the drama in a work. Very happily, with this piece, we just need to get it rolling and it does the rest.I would highly recommend this piece for chamber musicians who are looking for new and exciting repertoire for upcoming concerts. One caveat, though, some of the music is very flashy. So, the whole piece is probably best suited for players at a more advanced level. Some of the movements (the slow ones: 2 and 4) could be performed by most players. Individual movements could also be excerpted or performed as encore pieces.
