Vernacular Dances Solo Piano Sheet Music
- Instrumentation: Solo Piano
- Duration: ca. 12’30”
- Movements: Three (3) movements
- Year Composed: 1996
- Difficulty: Advanced / Virtuosic
- Format: Instantly downloadable, print-ready PDF score
“Starting off the program was Griffin’s Vernacular Dances, which plays off popular styles (Latin rhythms, blues, jazz) in a very serious way. This muscular work, expertly played by pianist Perry Townsend, was the strongest of the concert.”
— New Music Connoisseur, Vol. 5, No. 4
About the Piece
Pianists seeking an accessible, contemporary showpiece will be energized by
Vernacular Dances. This landmark three-movement solo piano work draws vivid inspiration from a diverse tapestry of American musical genres, seamlessly interweaving elements of blues, jazz, rock, and minimalism. [
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The outer movements are highly athletic and rhythmically driven, challenging the performer to treat the piano as much like a drum kit as a melodic instrument. Frequent, sharp accents pop from percussive textures as intricate ostinato rhythms clash in combating periodicities.
The intended irony of these movements is that while they play off American vernacular traditions, they are simultaneously driven by a rigorous approach to generating harmonic structures borrowed from the thorniest composer of the Second Viennese School:
Anton Webern, specifically drawing structural inspiration from his
Variations for Piano, Op. 27, Mvt. 2. [
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In stark contrast, the orchestrally conceived middle movement shifts focus toward pure color. As an homage to Aaron Copland, it offers an intimate, expansive lyricism marked by bare, spacious writing and wide-open emotional resonance.
Performance History
Originally premiered at
Steinway Hall in New York by Perry Townsend,
Vernacular Dances has become a staple of contemporary piano literature. It features major commercial recordings by Teresa McCollough on her album
New American Piano Music (Innova) and Tomoko Deguchi on
Syncopated Lady (Capstone Records).
This work delivers a physically demanding workout for the performer and a rhythmically driving, harmonically intriguing experience for the listener, guaranteed to level up any concert or university recital program.
Watch a Performance
See how the rhythm translates to the stage. Watch pianist and visual artist Hugh Sung’s brilliant interpretation of the first movement, filmed live at Field Concert Hall at The Curtis Institute of Music:
Listen to the expansive color choices of the second movement, performed by Teresa McCollough:
A review of the CD New American Piano Music, from Woman Rock Magazine (June, 2001): “California pianist Teresa McCollough sent out a nationwide call for new, classical piano pieces by American composers. Out of 300 scores, she chose seven for her recitals and national tours. This album is those seven selections. The pieces are exciting, daring adventures in contemporary music. The composers distilled hard jazz, delicate sonatas, and Copland-esque Americana into a new and stunning voice for McCollough’s playing. The contributing composers are David Rakowski, Henry Martin, Charles Griffin, Tomas Svoboda, Alex Shapiro, Steve Heitzeg, and Elizabeth Pizer.”
Listen to the driving momentum of the final movement, performed live by premiere pianist Perry Townsend:
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