Piano Roll Blues

“Piano Roll Blues” by David Liptak opens with extremely dissonant sonorities. The first measure alone contains the complete twelve-pitch collection, and unrelated triads like C and B major are stacked simultaneously. But what sounds as if it will be overly academic and sober gets a much needed dose of comic relief in the form of a 7th hand—the erstwhile page turner. Liptak gives detailed instructions for ways that this player may get involved, sometimes appropriately, sometimes hesitating and intruding. All of it is much better experienced than can be described in words.

(c) Jason Stell