And the Moon Spun Round Like a Top

solo piano
(2004)
9 minutes

Premiered by Brian Connelly
October 31, 2004 - Houston, Texas

listen
Brian Connelly, pno.

About the piece:

I really like giving titles to my  pieces, but the way I arrive at them is always different. Sometimes the titles come before I write a single note and act as a guiding force in composition; sometimes they come into my mind during the course of writing; sometimes they are last minute decisions.  This piece falls into the final category.   When I set out to write this piece, I decided to make a conscious effort to avoid any kind of extra-musical inspiration, so there was no extra musical idea that the title could make reference to.  But strangely enough, the piece ended up feeling very programmatic, almost like a ballade.  Shortly after finishing the first version of the piece I stumbled across Yeats's poem The Cat and the Moon.  The night-time scene the poem depicts, as well as the line from the poem which became the title fit the piece surprisingly well.  And the Moon Spun Round Like A Top  is in four sections, each with its own clearly defined character.  It begins with an agitated introduction, interrupted by a few introspective moments.  This builds into a wild, virtuosic dance-like section with continuously with changing meters.  An abrupt transition leads to a lyrical slow section.  The final section, which is fast and rhythmic, is followed by a brief slow coda.