More Rivers

Programme Notes

More Rivers is a suite of solo piano pieces, each constructed with overlapping looping textures evoking the flow of water. Water is intrinsic to life. As living beings on this planet, it is one of our most vital resources, deserving our utmost respect and protection. For me, the flow of water also carries a spiritual significance. Being immersed in it or simply in its presence brings a healing, meditative calm. My hope is that listeners of this collection will share these two visions, in varying states of consciousness, as they immerse themselves in the wall of sound emanating from the piano.

While the seven pieces that make up More Rivers are unified by the looping technique, each one stands out with its own unique character, showcasing diverse durations, tempi, rhythmic intensity, and moods. Just as rivers can be long or short, rapid or calm, each piece in the suite offers a distinct musical journey. The numbers in the titles convey the order in which I composed the pieces. Each of the seven pieces has its own unique tonal center, with More Rivers 1 being in C and the rest representing D, E, F, G, A, and B, respectively. More Rivers 1 is the longest piece in the suite and introduces a number of themes, some of which are extracted and serve as the basis for the subsequent pieces. Musicians are welcome to play these pieces in any order. However, I find concluding the suite with More Rivers 1 to be particularly poignant.

This work is dedicated to the spirit of Ann Southam and her seminal work, Rivers. Ms. Southam’s contributions to minimalist music has been a big influence on my life. I have had the privilege of performing some of her Rivers pieces, interwoven with my own compositions, at my solo piano concerts. This has fostered a deep sense of musical and spiritual connection.

It was incredibly meaningful to have the opportunity to work on More Rivers with Christina Petrowska Quilico, who was instrumental in bringing the original Rivers to life with Ann. While More Rivers is not intended as a sequel or continuation of Rivers, I hope my compositional aesthetic serves as a tribute to this body of work, which has profoundly impacted me.

– Frank Horvat

Learn more about the making of this composition.

Beautiful, enveloping piece…

– Tom Allen, CBC Music’s About Time

Sunlight patterns seem to glint off the water’s lilting surface as the suite gets underway with “More Rivers 5,” upper notes sparkling incandescently as lower accents establish counterpoint…

– textura

DavE LAKE’s Indepth Interview with Christina and Frank on WRUU Radio