Sepia

Sepia is the 64th piano prélude, written in November 2016. It takes off on a rising funk-type lick that is also in Absofunkinlutely, étude #68. Full 3-page sketch here. This is Holly Roadfeldt's premiere of it in February 2021. 

Here is Holly's premiere of it.

Holly Roadfeldt, pianist · David Rakowski: Prelude #64 "Sepia" (2016)

Lee

I wrote Lee in 2018, in memory of Lee Hyla, and I stole some of his licks because that was the point. It was commissioned by the Grossman Ensemble/Chicago Center for Contemporary Composition and premiered by the Ensemble on December 7, 2018, conducted by Ben Bolter. Full sketch here. Special thanks to Gusty Thomas, who advised in a long FaceTime call, revisions of the third movement. Video of the premiere below.

Natura Morta

 Natura Morta (2015) is a piano quartet commissioned by Network for New Music for a Milton Babbitt 100th birthday concert. Complete sketch is here. 

Quietude

Quietude (2010) is the 97th piano étude, on dominant seventh chords. It's dedicated to Augusta Read Thomas. Complete three-page sketch is here.

 

Breakdown

Breakdown (2013) was commissioned by the Verge Ensemble, thanks to input from Dan Visconti. The ensemble promptly folded, and the premiere happened in March, 2018 with performers at the Cleveland Institute of Music (video below). The complete sketch is here.

N.B. at 4' 47" in the video, the falling arpeggio with a glissando in it was dreamed music. I have a rule that if I dream music and I can remember it, I have to use it in a piece.

Exact Change

I wrote Exact Change in December, 2011, for Mary Fukushima-Kirdendoll and Jeff Loeffert to premiere at the Saxophone Conference(?) in DC the following month. The full sketch is here. Below, a performance they gave of it at Cortona Sessions the following summer.

All the sketches

 Incidentally, all the sketches I have scanned and posted are here.