Suite for a Young Man for solo piano

Abstract

Suite for a Young Man (1980) consists of five movements, played without pause. It is programmatic, telling the story of a young man. In the first movement, “Proud and Solemn,” chordal sonorities in different rhythms and registers evoke the quiet pleasure the self-absorbed youth takes in himself. The music in “The First Kiss” combines tenderness and nervousness. “Beginning Dance Lessons” conveys the self-consciousness and frustration of youth, using surprising blue notes. The title “Clusteritis” constitutes a musical pun. A “cluster” is a group of tones, usually dissonant, played simultaneously; “itis” denotes an illness. Therefore, “clusteritis” is the illness of the young man, who compulsively and awkwardly spends his time in a group of his peers. In “Cotillion,” an elaborate, lengthy dance, the youth brings his entire personality together in a moment of joy. This piece was commissioned by pianist Daniel Sher.