2017 – piano – 9:30

Sheet Music

Score (pdf)

Performances

World Premiere: July 13, 2017, Music & Beyond Festival, Horticulture Building, Ottawa
Frank Horvat (piano)

US Premiere: April 24, 2022, PRAYERS FOR A FEVERISH PLANET, Minneapolis, MN
Ann DuHamel (piano)

Other Performances:
November 29, 2022, PRAYERS FOR A FEVERISH PLANET, New York, NY
Ann DuHamel (piano)

August 7, 2023, PRAYERS FOR A FEVERISH PLANET, Porto, Portugal
Ann DuHamel (piano)

Recording

Album: A Little Dark Music 2
Date: March 27, 2020
Musician(s): Frank Horvat
Producer: Frank Horvat
Location: Canterbury Music, Toronto
Label: I Am Who I Am

Programme Notes

When you read the words “Heat Island”, one might imagine “fun-in-the-sun” touristy images or the title of some chintzy Reality TV show. The true reality though is that the Heat Island Effect is a serious part of man-made climate change. On any hot summer day within an urban area, everything is even more hot than it should be simply because of the sun’s reflection off an infinite amount of concrete and building surfaces (click here to watch a more detailed explanation).

The Heat Island Effect isn’t just some visual effect where you see waves emanating from concrete…it can be quite deadly. Thankfully some cities are already taking steps to curb the effect, like making it mandatory for new building construction to have green roofs and more green space being incorporated into urban planning. But more must be done and quickly if the world has an opportunity to curb the disastrous effects of climate change.

The rumbly and murky start of this composition attempts to emulate the world oozing heat from pavement. As the piece progresses, it gradually works it’s way up to the higher registers with a more calm tone. This symbolizes the hope that I have that we do have the ability to transform the earth back to a more natural state so it won’t emit so much heat. At the beginning, the piano is dark and foreboding. By the end, it’s calm and soothing – Earth is breathing once again.

– Frank Horvat