Distant Memories
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Distant Memories is the third piece from Alexina Louie's Music for Piano. It was commissioned by the Alliance for Canadian New Music Projects in 1982. This piece features the changing meters and "senza misura", meaning "without measure". The other pieces in this songbook are "Changes", "The Enchanted Bells", and "Once Upon a Time". The four short solo piano pieces explore contemporary musical concepts and techniques while remaining accessible to younger students. As this was her first set of compositions for solo piano, it is fitting that Louie dedicated the pieces to her former childhood piano teacher and mentor Jean Lyons.
The intention of Music for Piano was to create 4 contrasting works; Louie wanted "each work to address a new compositional, pianistic, or notational 'technique' or 'device'. At the same time, I did not want to write a dry pedagogical piece, as these pieces often are."
Terms
Senza Misura
Instead of bar lines, the suggested performance time is given in seconds, which is marked by senza misura, or "without measure". This technique is also used in Louie's other pieces, which creates rhythmic complexity.
Arch Form
A sectional structure based on repetition in reverse order (for example, ABCBA) that imparts an overall symmetry.
Berceuse
A French term for lullaby.
A Tempo
Term seen after a change of speed, a tempo indicates to return to the tempo played before a change of speed.