​A precursor: TINY BITS OF OUTRAGEOUS LOVE

In 2011 I was contemplating writing a new piano four hands piece for Michael and Jessica Shinn. That Fall they performed a benefit concert for their wonderful summer festival, PianoSonoma at the Yamaha Salon in New York City (more about that soon!). I heard them perform the Brahms Waltzes, and when they got to #15, I was deeply moved. I thought to myself, “What a gem! What a tiny little piece with such a big heart!”

As I was walking back across town to get on a train home, that internal mantra turned into a new title: “Tiny Bits of Outrageous Love.” Yes, a little bit of a play on “A Staggering Work of Heartbreaking Genius” by Dave Eggers, which I had just read and loved, but just different enough to make it my own. I decided I would try to compose a series of gems, and on the train ride home I jotted down the seven movement names, which never changed:

1. one and one
2. flutter flutter
3. lovesong
4. chase
5. respite
6. crossings
7. two

 
It was obviously going to be a piece about my relationship with my wife, Deborah, and I was going to dedicate the piece to her. This is a video of the premiere at the Juilliard School in May 2012. Michael and Jessica and I worked together before, but this piece brought us even closer. In many ways, it’s the reason we are doing DOUBLE RAINBOW in Madison this week.
Enjoy!

​TINY BITS
​
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZHbk5ZdTJc&t=132s