Andrzej Dutkiewicz

3 Sketches in Retrospect

Three Sketches in Retrospect' were written in 1985 when I learned of the sudden loss of Eugene List, a great pianist, outstanding artist, unforgettable teacher and close friend. Hence the title of the work , referring to memories of the past, and the choice of form. HYMNUS, inspired in its entirety by the powerful effect of Gregorian chant melodies, with an excerpt of a mournful, religious song worked into it; PASTORALE, veiled sounds resulting from a long pedal in the acoustics of a lofty cathedral, which, by means of an improvisatory succession of changing harmonies and the hypnotic rhythm of 'minimal music', is intended to stimulate reflections on the passing of time, to express sorrow and nostalgia for the lost one, so as to create, at the end of the narration, a mood of peace, contemplation and acceptance of what is irreversible. The two sketches are divided by a MAZURKA in Chopinesque style, Eugene List's favourite genre. The premiere of the piece took place in Los Angeles at the Schönberg Institute in 1987 and was performed by the composer.