The Chiaroscurist

Composer Notes... “The Chiaroscurist” was another commission from George Gregory. In painting, chiaroscuro is the art of depicting an object in terms of light and dark parts. When viewing a work of art in a museum, it is easy to achieve this effect by sampling - moving around the room, while viewing the same painting in different light. The difference can be quite remarkable. When George plays he can achieve the same result with subtle shading of phrases and dynamic range that too is remarkable. “The Chiaroscurist” is a musical tribute to George Gregory as a consummate carillonneur. There are alternating sections of straightforward harmony as well as shorter sections using the Octatonic scale that allow the performer to show his skill at being a chiaroscurist.