World premiere of '10 Narrow Trees for Small Gardens,' performed by RighteousGIRLS (Gina Izzo, flute + delay pedal; Erika Dohi, prepared piano) at Joe's Pub, 7/5/2022. Unrevised version.

I. flute + piano 
II. alto flute + piano
III. flute with delay pedal + prepared piano
IV. flute with delay pedal + prepared piano

'10 Narrow Trees for Small Gardens' was composed in the early months of 2021. Written for RighteousGIRLS, it is scored for flute with optional electronics and prepared piano. The ten-minute work is divided into four movements of identical length that can be played in various combinations.

As in most of my music, the entire piece is based on a small amount of material – in this case, a sequence of short motifs. As they unfold and recur, the earlier motifs recede and the latter ones become more prevalent. Guided by a simple algorithm, this process gives rise to a drifting effect, like the movement of clouds across the sky.

In '10 Narrow Trees for Small Gardens,' each movement has a distinct timbral profile. The first movement is straightforward, with unaltered flute and piano. The second movement is played on alto flute, while the piano uses the sostenuto pedal for an afterimage effect. The third movement introduces prepared piano pitches in the right hand and analog pedal effects in the flute. The fourth adds preparations in the piano left hand.
 
In addition, as the piece progresses, the flute, piano left hand, and piano right hand take turns splitting off from the other voices and jumping into new registers, creating fresh harmonic, rhythmic, and textural combinations. The mood changes as well from movement to movement, alternately matter-of-fact, pensive, playful, and trippy.

I came upon the title by chance in a gardening blog. In one sense, the four brief movements are like small gardens, “planted” with a variety of succinct motifs. On a deeper level, it spoke to me of our time of pandemic confinement, when it became more important than ever to have a bit of nature at hand, a living thing. Beauty brings hope.

10 Narrow Trees for Small Gardens is dedicated to Gina Izzo and Erika Dohi of RighteousGIRLS.

10 Narrow Trees For Small Gardens

A composer whose music explores the interplay of sound and silence, form and memory, intention and process. Possessing “an instinct for sensuous color-blends” (Buffalo News), Swartz creates musical landscapes that evolve unpredictably as they move through time, like cloud formations across the sky.

10 Narrow Trees For Small Gardens

Steven Swartz, composer