Gerald Levinson

Musiques Nocturnes

Written in honor of the Béla Bartók centennial; Musiques Nocturnes is inspired by one of his most characteristic and original works; the fourth piece (by the same title); from the suite Out of Doors. Both pieces feature overlapping 'night musics' - atmospheric cluster figures; sharply contrasting motifs suggesting nocturnal bird; frog; or insect sounds; and an element of human; folksong-like melody as Levinson alludes to the authentic Hungarian folksong; 'Tiszan innen; Dunan tul.'