I chose the title of this piano work because of its two-fold meaning: reflections in the sense of contemplation, the musical thought which lies behind the notes - and reflections in the tangible sense: the actual musical material of the work, which is based on constant reflections of a single triad with its perpetual transpositions used both vertically and horizontally.
Although the music contains neither pictorial description nor literary programme, the construction of the sound material has perhaps some connection with my life-long fascination with mirror-forms - in this case reflections of sound - as well as with the symmetric properties of crystals involving reflections and inversions. The work consists of five contrasted microstructures: (1) horizontal triads as a melodic line, supported by vertically arranged triads; (2) two voices only with short, mirrored reflections; (3) chords, with silences symmetrically arranged; (4) a constant succession of triads embracing almost the whole compass of the keyboard; and (5) agitated questioning reflected by tranquil answers.
Though the construction of the work is built strictly on triads only, with utmost
precision, my main intention is that the listener should allow himself to respond rather
to the contemplative and poetic meaning of reflections without concentrating on
the purely technical framework.
For the musical example for this work, see the programme note section on www.panufnik.com
Andrzej Panufnik
Reproduction Rights
This programme note can be reproduced free of charge in concert programmes with a credit to the composer
