Lianes

Dedicated to the pianist Éliane Reyes, Lianes is a suite of three contrasting pieces for solo piano, composed in 2006. The title – suggesting entangled vines – hints at the intertwining of motifs, modes, and textures that characterises the work.

• The first piece opens ethereally in the upper register of the piano, with a sequence of phrases that resemble a free improvisation, seemingly suspended in time. This dreamlike atmosphere is soon interrupted by the steady flow of semiquavers, over which an expressive theme unfolds. These two elements gradually evolve and intensify, leading to an animated central section of increasing agitation. A return of the expressive theme, now developed in three-part canon, paves the way for a mysterious conclusion in which the opening “out-of-time” material reappears – this time hauntingly transposed to the lower register.
• The second piece is contemplative and inward-looking. A theme in C mode is subjected to a four-part canon (at the major third, perfect fifth and major seventh), and the sustained use of the resonance pedal creates a rich harmonic halo. A sudden modulation to the lower major third (A-flat mode) disrupts the serenity, leading through a series of modal shifts before a return to the original C mode for a quiet resolution.
• The third piece, in sharp contrast, is rhythmically insistent and capricious. Markedly more virtuosic than the previous two, it demands precise rhythmic control and a highly refined command of harmonic colour. Sudden shifts in modality and tonality underpin its whimsical and obsessive character, creating a work of striking complexity and brilliance.

Together, the three movements of Lianes form a nuanced and richly expressive suite that traverses stillness, introspection and agitation, all bound by Lysight’s distinctive harmonic language and architectural clarity.