The Hand of Day
Bethany Pietroniro, Piano
The Hand of Day is a three minute minimalist piece on the shortest of poems by Octavio Paz:
The hand of day opens
Three clouds
And these few words
Using a limited range and an always sounding eighth note pulse, this piece explores horizontal rhythmic groupings. Each of the arrival points uses a slightly more dissonant combination than the last (2 vs 3, 3 vs 4, and eventually 4 vs 5).
Also, a macro-line can be heard in the pitches. A repeated C-sharp opens the piece above an oscillating fifth on A. Over the course of the composition, this upper note gradually climbs by step to D, then E, F, and G, finally reaching an A to finish the piece. Coincidentally the limited range of the piece is almost exactly the standard range of my primary instrument, the alto saxophone.
No tempo is indicated; the performer is asked to choose her own.
The Hand of Day was written in the spring of 2008.