Michael Nyman

The Piano Sings

Score for 'The Piano Sings'.
Quoting Nyman: 'In writing for The Piano, I had to establish not only the usual repertoire of music for the film, but a specific repertoire of piano music that would have been Ada's repertoire as a pianist. I began creating her a folio of material that I imagined she had in her head, that her fingers carried around with her, almost as if she had been the composer.
Initially I was unsure as to how precisely to pitch the style: it had to be a 'possible' mid-nineteenth century music but not pastiche and obviously written in 1992. But then I had the perception that, since Ada was from Scotland, it was logical to use Scottish folk and popular songs as the basis of our music. Once I hit on that idea the whole thing fell into place.
It's as though I was writing the music of another composer who happened to live in Scotland, then New Zealand in the mid 1850s. Someone who was obviously not a professional composer or pianist. So there had to be a modesty to it. '
Scored for Soprano and String Quartet. Separate parts are also available on sale.