S. Eric Scribner is a pianist, composer, and improviser. Much of his music is involved with aleatory sequences and improvisation. Discarded Poems is a theatrical piece in which the performers gradually move from sounds of the here-and-now into sounds of the eternal, figuratively “discarding” texts along the way. Also on the program: two short pieces for piano and percussion, and an improvised set with Neal Meyer.
Seattle composer Neal Meyer has been working on Gradus: For Fux, Tesla, and Milo the Wrestler since 1987: Learn to play the piano one note at a time. Devote an extended improvisation session to each note on the piano, and to each possible combination of notes in turn. Begin with pitch-class A. Play in such a way (patiently, quietly, with lots of space) that the music is experienced and heard as a duo for pianist and piano, with unintended ambient sound joining in chorus.