il progressi sempre tardi arriva [solo piano] (2017, AMH)

Composer: Alannah Marie Halay (2017)

fragments for piano

Instrumentation:

Grand piano with the lid up is preferred; however, the piece can be played on an upright. This piece is a moment of nervous energy. There should be moments of calm and moments of frenzy juxtaposed in a schizophrenic manner, portraying an overall sensation of stopping and starting. This is a passionate piece and the performer must immerse themselves in the piece and every fragment equally.

The title (‘Progress always comes late’) is a quote from the 1988 film Cinema Paradiso, directed by Giuseppe Tornatore (the original Italian is something along the lines of ‘il progressi sempre tardi arriva’.

This piece is a collection of fragments that can be performed in any order. The performer does not need to perform every single fragment on the page, although they are encouraged to. Individual fragments (or series of fragments) can be repeated if the performer wishes. Fragments do not need to be performed in their entirety if the moment calls for a fragment to be interrupted by another one.

The duration of the piece and overall structure of the fragments is up to the performer (or can be devised by the composer should the performer prefer this). This allows one to transcend the limitations of a single page. It also attempts to avoid the inevitable reification (or reproduction) of the piece: instead, its structure is variable enough to keep it dynamic and ‘alive’. It also allows the performer to connect with the piece as much as possible, letting their mood and spur-of-the-moment decisions dictate the order of fragments performed.