Publisher: Theodore Presser Company (2018)
ISBN-10: 1491112352
ISBN-13: 9781491112359

ISBN: 9781491114445
UPC : 680160642090

Written in honor of the Béla Bartók centennial, MUSIQUES NOCTURNES is inspired by oneof his most characteristic and original works, the fourth piece (by the same title), from the suiteOut of Doors. Both pieces feature overlapping “night musics” – atmospheric cluster figures, sharplycontrasting motifs suggesting nocturnal bird, frog, or insect sounds, and an element of human,folksong-like melody as Levinson alludes to the authentic Hungarian folksong, “Tiszán innen,Dunán túl.”

This simple piece was written in 2015 as a birthday present for the composer’s wife, poet and fellow bird lover Nanine Valen; it is a sequel to a Chorale he wrote for her in 1969. The work’s ornithological character is an affectionate tribute as well to Levinson’s teacher Olivier Messiaen. The birds referenced are a highly stylized chickadee and two song sparrows.

ISBN: 9781491114438
UPC: 680160642106