Twelve Blocks (2020-21), 11’

Twelve Blocks (2021), for one piano, four hands with spoken poetry, is inspired by the special bond between Ursula Oppens and Jerome Lowenthal. During the pandemic, Jerry's daily ritual included walking twelve blocks to visit Ursula while reciting poetry along the way. This narrative inspired my composition.

Twelve Blocks begins with a line from Paul Verlaine’s Green set against a walking bass line (Voici des fruits, des fleurs, des feuilles et des branches/Here are fruit, flowers, leaves and branches). The work moves along in brief contrasting sections, punctuated by bell-like chords that illustrate each of the twelve blocks. Later, Keats’ Endymion leads into a Lisztian episode, followed by Verlaine’s Clair de lune, Marvell’s The Garden, and Keats’ Ode to a Nightingale. The poems interact with the music, collectively evoking nature, pilgrimage, and ultimately the significance the words hold for both Ursula and Jerry. The acrobatic pianism at times requires intricate choreography of the four hands—effortlessly embraced by Ursula and Jerry.

Written for my mentors, Jerome Lowenthal and Ursula Oppens, Twelve Blocks aims to be a heartfelt and, I hope, amusing tribute to them.

- Michael Stephen Brown (2024)

Watch

Twelve Blocks (2021) trailer
Living twelve blocks away from one another, piano legends Jerome Lowenthal and Ursula Oppens visit each other daily.