Moments Musicaux

While studying together at Juilliard, Eliran Avni asked Dorman to write a set of short piano pieces for him. Dorman named the pieces Moments Musicaux (2004) both as a tribute to Schubert, and to encourage the performer to focus on the musical moment rather than the technical one. Dorman constructs both Moments using rigorous mathematical models, yet each piece projects different emotions. The polytonal arpeggios in Moment No. 1 create a sad, depressed mood, and Dorman’s use of dissonance at extreme registers imitates bell-like sounds. Moment No. 2 explores the interactions between a short cyclical rhythm (reminiscent of the Salsa) and a lyrical second theme. The first measure presents the rhythmic motive – Dorman creatively divides a 4/4 measure into 4+3+2+4 sixteenth notes. The second theme is lyrical and alludes to the style of Broadway show tunes. Moments Musicaux marks the first piano piece that Dorman composed in America as a student of John Corigliano.