Three by Three

Three by Three, Eric Nathan (2009) 9'
for solo piano

"Three by Three" (2009) is a set of three pieces for piano, each roughly three minutes in duration. The first movement, "I. Moto perpetuo, Presto,” opens with a burst of hushed energy, whirling sixteenth-notes and a syncopated twittering melody that fights to bubble to the surface. The energy builds perpetually until it finally disintegrates, vanishing as quickly as it began.

The second movement, "II. Lontano,"  is a meditation on Arthur Ganson’s kinetic sculpture, "Machine with Artichoke Petal." The sculpture consists of a machine, which through the use of electricity and various levers and gears, allows a tiny, yet sturdy, artichoke petal to gracefully "walk" atop a large, slowly rotating metal disc. The sculpture has a fragile beauty, juxtaposing the delicate artichoke petal with the imposing rotating metal disc. The music meditates on the graceful beauty of the artichoke petal peacefully walking and the continuous cycles of the disc forever turning. 

The final movement, "III. Vivace, Molto Robusto," concludes the set with a return to the lively, a playful sprint with a rollicking swagger. "Three by Three" was composed for  pianist Mei Rui.

For performance, each movement may be performed separately.

Movements:
I. Moto perpetuo, Presto (3')
II. Lontano (3')
III. Vivace, Molto Robusto (3')

Playlist of Movements 1-3 from the Albany Records release: