<back to videos page> <back to reimagine program notes> <back to composition page>
<back to program notes library>
The Anderson & Roe Piano Duo have included this piece and video on their debut album, "Reimagine," a CD/DVD combo.
Camille Saint Saëns originally composed "The Swan" for cello and two pianos as a part of his Carnival of the Animals. In this arrangement, I honored the spirit of the original composition but recreated the music according to the strengths of our instrumentation, immersing the melody in pianistic ripples of sound.
As you listen, consider the words of John Keats:
Beauty is truth, truth beauty, – that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.
Imagine a swan drifting in a pond and the water rippling in its wake. Try listening similarly: drift; allow yourself to explore aimlessly. We are surrounded by beauty; it's just that we sometimes forget to acknowledge it.
The sheet music for this transcription is for sale. The .pdf file is $10, payable through PayPal. Email your request to gnanderson@gmail.com and Greg will send you an invoice.