Entirely consisting of piano, Fidelio is my first foray into the world of improvisation.
The first piece, a rather energetic work, was created after I had read a significant portion of the book Effortless Mastery by jazz musician, Kenny Werner. Playing that piece felt like removing a heavy weight from myself. Prior I would struggle in writing note after note. Whenever I had improvised prior, I was upset that I couldn’t memorize it and replay it exactly. Since the recording of that piece, I allowed music more freedom to naturally present itself.
The works I compose now have more of a life of their own and can be seen to evolve over time. Motifs shift and change, grow and fade, between the pieces or on their own.
Fidelio marks a significant change over how I had played and composed prior. It is a short work, marked with much silence, which has been one of its criticisms. However, without it, I do not believe I would be composing and creating in the vein I do now, and so it holds a special place for me.
Released 2003
