A stressful, tumultuous time, the Piano Quintet reflects the anxious sentiments of the COVID-19 pandemic that I believe I shared with the wider world. In my own life, I encountered disconnection from the broader world, high anxiety, family struggles, and a sense of relief when the pandemic finally ended.

I believe that this piece summarizes the pandemic musically. The first movement is quite technical and generally moves at fast tempi, evoking senses of anxiety, dread, and hope. The second movement is quite sad, reflecting the quite numerous catastrophes and heartbreaks encountered during the pandemic. The third movement begins with the frustration of the first, abruptly moving towards a more hopeful, placid, and joyous conclusion.

The Piano Quintet reflects the pandemic because it was written over its entire course, and the sentiments stated above are reflected in its movements. The first movement was written during the pandemic's outset and reflects several stresses upon my life as a result; the second movement was written during its mid-stages; the third movement was written during its conclusion in 2022 and is more hopeful. Hopefully, you may find a sense of connection and comfort through a full listening of the piece.

As a final note, the pandemic (and other factors) caused me to be unable to find musicians willing to perform the entire piece live. Thus, the piece is presented entirely in its MIDI version.

Enjoy!

Piano Quintet Mvmt 3

Piano Quintet Mvmt 2

Piano Quintet Mvmt 1

I have perfect pitch. Over the course of my schooling, I memorized the 12 tones used in most Western music. To help increase my accuracy when it comes to recognizing tuning and pitch, I created drones in the 24-TET system - a system that breaks the octave down into 24 equally-spaced pitches rather than the 12 found in standard Equal Temperament. Due to the nature of these tuning systems, they are in-tune with each other when A=440. The ability to recognize all of these pitches can serve those with perfect pitch by improving their own tuning during performance, and it can expand the ears to appreciate and play 24-TET music on its own terms.

At our best, humans can recognize differences in pitch of approx. 5-6 cents. As musicians, why not try to get there with some practice?

Alex Tschetter

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