Twelve Blocks (2021)
for One Piano, Four Hands and Poetry, 11'
Commissioned by and dedicated to Jerome Lowenthal and Ursula Oppens
"A lovely sequence of gentle musical and textual aphorisms, fragments from Paul Verlaine, Keats, and Andrew Marvell, a musical quote from 'Clair de lune' and phrases that evoked the romantic era, all brought together by a regular chord that marked each of the 12 blocks."
— NY Classical Review
Twelve Blocks (2021), for one piano, four hands with spoken poetry, is inspired by the special bond between Ursula Oppens and Jerome Lowenthal. During the pandemic, Jerry's daily ritual included walking twelve blocks to visit Ursula while reciting poetry along the way. This narrative inspired my composition.
Twelve Blocks begins with a line from Paul Verlaine’s Green set against a walking bass line (Voici des fruits, des fleurs, des feuilles et des branches/Here are fruit, flowers, leaves and branches). The work moves along in brief contrasting sections, punctuated by bell-like chords that illustrate each of the twelve blocks. Later, Keats’ Endymion leads into a Lisztian episode, followed by Verlaine’s Clair de lune, Marvell’s The Garden, and Keats’ Ode to a Nightingale. The poems interact with the music, collectively evoking nature, pilgrimage, and ultimately the significance the words hold for both Ursula and Jerry. The acrobatic pianism at times requires intricate choreography of the four hands—effortlessly embraced by Ursula and Jerry.
Written for my mentors, Jerome Lowenthal and Ursula Oppens, Twelve Blocks aims to be a heartfelt and, I hope, amusing tribute to them.
- Michael Stephen Brown (2024)