The music of composer Errollyn Wallen spans numerous styles from avant-garde classical to jazz song writing. She has composed extensively for chamber media, including piano solo and duet, string quartet and various mixed ensembles, often with voice. In between her work on classical composition, Wallen began in 1988 writing pop/jazz songs for a change of pace. The results are electrifying, as she moves freely among influences ranging from Laurie Anderson to Gospel, Bill Evans, Blues, Schubert, and Ives. According to Wallen: “This piece is dedicated to my young grandson, Louis Wallen. I was inspired by watching him at play, as well as by seeing Margaret Leng Tan perform in New York last autumn and by the happy afternoon we spent in her Brooklyn home discussing the forthcoming piece over toy pianos and pecan pie. Listening to Margaret play, I was aware of the similarity in the action of the toy piano to the harpsichord and I decided to revisit one of my long-neglected loves - the French Clavecin School - and, in this particular instance, Louis Couperin (1626-1661). I wanted to write a piece for Margaret that combined playfulness with virtuosity. Absorbed into ’Louis' Loops’ are snippets of three dance pieces of Couperin's - ‘Courante’, ‘Sarabande en Canon’, and ‘Canaries’. Considering the title I wonder if I was also thinking subconsciously of the brilliant mathematician's mind of Louis' father and my cousin, Lincoln Wallen. Anyhow, this is for you, Louis - across three centuries.” |
