Composition

Notes

Part Suite-a scrambles elements familiar from Baroque suites and partitas with other musical flavors.

The introductory "Passacaglialude" follows the usual form of a passacaglia, which is unified by a repeating bass line and series of chords. Here the seven-measure phrase consists of the same six-note chord throughout, in seven different voicings. The phrase gradually speeds up.

"Lullabande" features the strong second beat of the sarabande in a mostly serene lullaby.

"Scherzoid" is generally playful, in the manner of scherzo, though it is perhaps occasionally threatening, in a friendly sort of way.

Part Suite-a was written for Nadia Shpachenko, whose sparkling musicality is a constant inspiration.