The Sound of Rain (2021)

Program Notes:

The pandemic has brought upon a sudden quietness and solitude in my life, and I have found myself paying closer attention to the sounds that I normally would have considered as background noises. I live in a small town near Harrisburg, PA, and last fall there was a period when it rained all week. As I was home peacefully listening to the rain, I noticed there were interesting rhythms and sound characteristics—such as the joyous droplets, heavy drizzling, and the brief breaks of silence before there was more rain—these became an inspiration. At the end of the last movement, the piano starts playing a melodical line of a dream sequence in the midst of the continuous rain which is represented by the strings. This ending is reminiscent of myself falling asleep listening to “the sound of rain”.

DURATION
7 minutes

INSTRUMENTATION
piano quartet

PREMIÈRE
May, 1, 2021 RED NOTE New Music Festival 2021

Left Coast Chamber Ensemble: Anna Presler, violin; Phyllis Kamrin, viola; Leighton Fong, cello; Allegra Chapman, piano.

MOVEMENTS:

I. Plip-Plip-Plop

II. A brief break, then more…

III. Aqueous

IV. All Night it has Rained