Rhapsody No. 1, from Three Rhapsodies for Piano, by Lettie Beckon Alston
The first Rhapsody in this set is 4.5 pages. It is marked “well marked with motion.” It features rhapsodic elements typical of the romantic period like switching between duple and triple rhythms. One of the frequent rhythmic gestures is four sixteenths and an eighth note, followed by another four sixteenths and an eighth (in 6/8). This is difficult to connect musically, because there is the temptation to start over on each one, which ends up sounding vertical. Another challenge is the repetitive rhythm in the melody which makes harmonic changes the most important element in phrasing. Since Alston’s harmonies are not always simple, the performer has to become comfortable with her harmonic language to make sense of the piece, although frequent dynamic markings help with interpretation. As opposed to Alston’s Moods for Piano, the Rhapsodies are somewhat easier to follow melodically, because they use repetition and stepwise motion.
Lettie Beckon Alston was born in Detroit in 1953. She received her doctorate in composition from the University of Michigan. She composes for orchestra, piano, voice, strings, and other instruments as well as synthesizers and electronically produced sounds.