Something New (1998)
for
piano four hands

by
Robert Morris

Program Notes

This relatively brief piano piece for two pianists really was something new for me in 1998. I’d worked out a new way to combine different compositional passages without sacrificing their harmonic integrity and Something New showcases this idea. The primo and secundo parts present independent but related contrapuntal three-voice textures that combine with each other to form coherent but diverse gestures and flows. These three-voice textures are taken from another break-through piece—my Four Voices in Three Voices piano piece of 1983.

Something New has a very noticeable harmonic identity due to the ubiquitous use of a certain hexachord known as 6-14 or [013458] or “Q” (Andy Mead’s name for it). This hexachord has a great number of unique sonic and structural properties in the twelve-tone universe. Oddly enough, hexachord Q has been the main harmonic unit in other pieces that feature a compositional innovation such as Cuts (1983) for large wind orchestra, Allies (1979) for two pianos, Knot Lilacs (2006) for alto saxophone, and Not Lilacs, my first all-out serial piece for trumpet, alto saxophone, piano, and drum set (1973).