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Article: On association, realization, and form in Richard Swift's 'Things of August.' (1985 musical piece by composer)
- Article from:
- Perspectives of New Music
- Article date:
- January 1, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 Perspectives of New Music. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Richard Swift's Things of August (1985) is a piece for piano solo, dedicated to Milton Babbitt for his seventieth year.(1) Roughly ten minutes in duration, it divides into three substantial sections, each with its own tempo and character. These are designated I, II, and III by the composer; they are to be played without pause and measures are numbered consecutively throughout. Section I is moody, at times tentative, melancholy, introspective, questioning, demanding, vigorous. Section II brightens, a mercurial trill playing hide-and-seek through the piano's registers. Section III is lively, gigue-like with its eighth-note triplets.(2) Bright and active, the music glistens ...