Ode (2004)
for
Piano Solo

by
Robert Morris

Program Notes

Ode for piano solo was written in late 2004 for Benjamin Boretz on the occasion of his 70th birthday. The work is based on Ben's beautiful piano piece, O, which is for the most part a slow series of single pitches, sometimes sustained by the damper pedal. I took Ben's piece and added an overlay of counterpoint and harmony, all derived from the notes of Ben's piece. Thus, Ode can be considered a variation on O, although the experience is one of elaboration not variation, per se.