Razzle began quite simply with six notes; two three-note groupings comprised of the interval set of a minor second, an augmented second, and a perfect fourth. From these, an ostinato was created which provides the impetus for the continual variation and development that dominates the entire work. The ostinato is extremely rhythmic and driving and its expansion or contraction produces misplaced downbeats and unexpected accents. Quartal harmony predominates especially in the sustained six note chords that interrupt the quick sixteenth note activity and through the use of the interval of a fourth for canonic entries of the ostinato. The incessant activity in the first half of the work dissipates into a more ethereal middle section of chords which present the ostinato in a dramatically augmented form. The quietude is short-lived as the ostinato reappears, this time with the two three-note groupings reversed, and the musical energy winds back up, driving to the end of the work.
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Instrumentation: Piano Solo
Duration: 7 minutes
Performed by Dr. Alexander Szram, piano