Search - Greg Brown :: Sojourns in Solitude

Inspiration: Chou-chou is Japanese for butterfly. It is my nickname for my wife, to whom this piece is dedicated. The piece is in the key of E, which is my wife?s middle initial then the melody moves to B which is now the initial off her last name. There are also parts in 5/4, which is her height. I tried to capture her image in the music. Horizons is a piece dedicated to my children, Emily and Austin. It is a light, melodic piece evoking the possibilities of youth. Contrast is a tone poem that tells a story of a country storm. This piece means a lot to me since it helped me through writer?s block. In the studio I was able to use my classic and steel string guitars to help accentuate the mood. Andalucia- My visit to Spain a few years ago was a life-altering event. This entire suite is based on that visit. Costa de la Luz (the Coast of Light) tells of a day at the beach. The Alhambra, the old Moorish castle, is a true place of wonder and majesty. This castle continues to inspire music and poems over the centuries. Encantado (Enchanted) is a tune inspired by folk songs of Spain. The melody moves with guitar accompaniment, to the imitation of a solo singer and cello, and then returns with accompaniment. Pinos Genil (Gentle Pines) is the name of the town outside of Granada where I stayed. The people were wonderful and will be in my heart forever. Daydreams (Suite for Solo Guitar) is a collection of short works. The entire suite was recorded on my steel string guitar. Prelude is a short piece used as an introduction and sets up the moods to come. Minuet is a dance-like work that has a quality of old dance although it is not in a triple meter. Moonlight was written thinking of the Beethoven piece. Although rhythmically different, I was going for the same mood. Dawn is a short work written on my electric guitar with chorus. For this recording, I used my steel string and chorus effect. This piece has always reminded me of the start of the day. Eclipse is a work that builds and builds like watching this amazing natural event. Suite for Apollo: Birnam Wood is a piece that is reminiscent of the witch?s prophecy in Shakespeare?s Macbeth. Sonatina was recorded on a steel string with a touch of flanger here and there. Nassau is a piece that came from my visits to the Bahamas in the 80?s. I used matchsticks on a few strings to create that percussive steel drum sound. With You is a piece that is also written for my wife. This piece was played as she walked down the aisle during our wedding. Dedication is dedicated to two people who have affected my playing and work: Eddie Van Halen, whose approach and style I?ve always enjoyed and Benjamin Verdery, guitar instructor at Yale. He has such a wonderful outlook on life and his teaching and playing is truly inspiring. The prelude Nocturne is a theme with an improvisation section. The rainstorm background really helps set the mood. This is more of an Edgar Allan Poe nocturne than a Chopin. Nocturne is a prelude to a piece I was commissioned to write for guitar and orchestra called Transylvania. I?ve included the premiere recording of the orchestral performance so the two can be enjoyed together as intended. Transylvania is a tone poem about a walk through the woods. It is a dark piece all in minor keys. You can hear church bells in the distance as well as a constant feeling of foreboding. Thank you very much for your support! GB