Stephen Hartke

THE PIANO DREAMS OF EMPIRE (1994) for Solo Piano Commissioned by the Music Teachers Association of California Duration: 7 Minutes In addition to being simply a 7-minute long concert piece for piano, The Piano Dreams of Empire was also composed with a view to addressing certain technical issues important to the development of the advancing intermediate student. The main objectives are: -- taking possession of the entire geography of the keyboard; -- the dramatic use of silence; -- clear projection of dynamic contrasts; -- clear and precise projection of irregular rhythmic and metric groups.   The published score comes with a four page study guide to help students and teachers address these aspects of the piece's performance.