All of the works on this EP were composed for and premiered by Michael Ierace at chamber music concerts presented by The Firm New Music between 2016 and 2020. I am delighted to present them together in this recording, which celebrates the artistic relationship between Michael and myself, and which offers the first studio recording of my compositions for solo piano.

Fragments (2016) consists of three short works, 'before', 'during' and 'after'.  It explores themes of impermanence, memory, and the passing of time, and was loosely inspired by this poem, 'Fragments' by Anna Akhamotova:

And it seemed to me those fires
Were about me til dawn.
And I never learnt-
The colour of those eyes.

Everything was trembling, singing;
Were you my friend or enemy,
And winter was it, or summer?

The Red Buoy (2018) is a musical portrait of a painting of the same name by Paul Signac. I composed it following a visit to see an Impressionist Exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia. 

as flower, as fire (2020) was composed as a musical response to both Beethoven’s ‘Waldstein’ Sonata, Op. 53, and the work which was once destined to be the Sonata’s middle movement, the Andante Favori, WoO 57. It was premiered by Michael in a concert which included both these works.
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​The title is taken from the following poem by Sara Teasdale:

Let it be forgotten, as a flower is forgotten,
Forgotten as a fire that once was singing gold,
Let it be forgotten for ever and ever,
Time is a kind friend, he will make us old.

If anyone asks, say it was forgotten
Long and long ago,
As a flower, as a fire, as a hushed footfall
In a long forgotten snow.

You can pre-save before, during, after to become one of the first to hear it by following this link.