Program notes
Although I have written for
piano since 1972, my works for solo piano have not survived my voracious
trashcan. Before this piece, I only had one surviving score, the Goldbug
Variations in versions for either piano or harpsichord. In preparation for
a big concert at Duke University for my 71st birthday in January
2026, there opened up some room on the program, and I took advantage to write
this very short piece for the featured pianist Anatoly Larkin.
I’m hoping
that pianists will find this to be a fun little item to play on concerts near
their own birthdays. Classical radio stations use birthdays for both composers
and performers, and maybe they’ll take the bait. Who knows?
Cover picture; first day of composer with mother, January 15, 1955