/Hush/

For Piano Solo

-

2012/13
Peter Kramer

To Reiko Fueting

Program Notes:
/Hush/ is in part a return to one of the first compositional forms I ever worked with, the
nocturne. This piece is also, however a personal response to Reiko Fuetings instrumental
and choral music, and Leopold Mozarts Violin Treatise of 1756 from which the material and
form are drawn from. From Leopolds chapter on basso continuo and the varying differences
in chord-dissonance within passagework I generated a dozen different groupings/layerings of
chords characterized by different dynamic hierarchies. The combination of layering these and
different formal aspects became the technical attributes of the piece. Different speeds of
movement from layer to layer, dynamic clarity, and articulation between layers and the form
itself engendered for me an unexpected bucolic setting that harkened back to ways in which I
composed earlier on in my life. This sudden illumination became clear upon completion of
the work, whose impetus was inspired by the news of a colleagues illness and my vision of
what music could be like if dreamt up at the end of someones life.

&

pp Half Pedaling:

{{

&
^

&
>3

10

When half pedaling quickly or for longer periods of time the sustaining quality of the sound should still be present,
although the sound should be slightly thinner and less pervasive.

(hold)

(1/2)

13

pp

Technical
mf > p Considerations:

j

&

(hold)

(hold)
(1/2)

(full)

(1/2)

(hold)

(1/2)

(full)

j
j

>
Dynamics within parenthesis
under certain pedaling passages should be present and percussive;they should be

Percussive Pedaling:

pp
executed with purpose andjintensity. Beginning in m.13
pedaling
is notated with
j j (see
j example below) percussive
j
j

& sixteenth

notated,
a disruption
and
reinvigoration
notes,these
quicker
of the
be executed

than
should
being
> the effect
>

> sustaining tones and >sustained

mf pp sound itself. pp

&mf

J
>
>

J
3
mf > p

.
3

&
mf > p

>j
fi

b
n> b

&
.
.

ff > p mf
ff > p
J mf
ff > mf
& Ped. ^ v

(hold)

^
3

(1/2)

3
(full) sempre, always
"f" executed quickly

16

&

3
fij

ff > mf

(hold)

(1/2)

(full)

> 3

(hold)

(1/2)

fij

pp

3
&4

Piano

fi

>
J

b
#

& 43

/Hush/

q = 30-40

"ff"

3
&4

(poco)

Very Slow : Nocturnal

una corda

&
&

(grace ntoes are always

before the beat)

mf

(hold)
pedal dynamics, percussive attack

&

Ped.

"f"

pp

Peter Kramer (b.1989)

pp

mf < f

>

f < mf

mf

mf

(1/2)
Copyright 2013

bb

(hold)

b
&
&

mf > p

&

&

>3

>

mf

(1/2)

(full)

>

ff > p

(full)

pp

(hold)

(hold)

(1/2)

10

&

pp

&

j

3

(1/2)

(hold)

13

&

&

-.3

&

Ped.

mf

"f"

&
&

-.

&
ff > f ^ v
>

fue corda

b
.
^

pp

mf > p

>j
fi

b
-.

>
n

(hold)

J mf

>

mf > p

(1/2)

> 3

3
fij

ff > mf

ff > mf

3
sempre, always
executed quickly

^ v

>

16

b
-.
J
ff

fij

sffz

b

3

b
n

^ v ^ v
3

mf

b
b

una corda

pp

19

&

&

&

mf

(hold)

(1/2)

#
&

22

mf > p

&

&

(poco)

pp

##

r.h.

&

Poco Meno Mosso,

Very steady and calm

pp

l.h.

(full)

- 5

- 5
b
5

(1/2)
(full)+fue corde

l.h.

##

pp

pp

r.h.

##
-

&

25

& # #

- 5
?

28

#
#

&

>

una corda

- 5

- 5

&

R
' -.

b
#

pp

^ v

"f"

sempre

&
(hold)

#
mf

(full)

sffz > p

(poco)

"ff"

Ped.

(lift slowly to 1/2)

fi

a tempo

&

&

*measures within parenthesis should be repeated once, only play the grace notes and pedaling

31

&

(hold)

&

Ped.

(1/2)

3
#

^ v
"f"

34

&

>

#
-.

f>p

fue corda

3
sempre

>

.
-

mf

J ff

^(hold)

sffz
^ v ^ v

ff

(1/2)

f>p

fij

pp

^ v

b
b.
fij

mf > p

sffz

&

&

&

>

(full)

f < ff

fi

pp

una corda

37

r 5

&

&

&

pp

mf > p

mf

(slowly lift from full to 1/2)

(hold)
(slowly depress from 1/2 to full)

>

(1/2)

&

&

>

(1/2)

40

&

(full)

(1/2)

(hold)

43

&

>

b
b

pp

f > mf

> #
n

mf

(hold until m.56)

poco rit.

&

&
&

&

&

46

>

n
b

mf

pp

(poco)

&

Poco Meno Mosso,

Very steady growing intense

mf

fue corde

- 5

- 5

pp
fi

&

>

49

&

- 5

- 5

&

ff

&

n
#
pp

b
#

(not too soft, present)

-5

pp

pp

pp

>

> b

Even slower, extremely focused

fi

52

R-

#
b

pp

fi

5
5

- 5

-.

sfffz

-.

-.

10

&

55

&
-.

-.

-.

-.

&

"ff"

&
(capture chord in pedal)

Ped.

(full)

"f"

sffffz

-.

-.

-.
'

OO
OO

(prepair silently)

(full)
(quick release)

(poco)

fi

b >

# OOO
O

58

?
<#> OOO
O

Coda : Diurnal

# -.

"sffz"

#-.

#-.

rit.

#-.

#-.

(long)

-.

pp

pppp

11/23/13 Oberlin, OH
(release silently)