panta rhei (2022) by Inés Thiebaut
for piano

One of my favorite Pre-Socratic philosophers Heraclitus loved to write and think about the concept of flow (rhei), the stream of things. He is the one that talked about not being able to step on the same river twice, and that nothing ever just is, it is always becoming. This piece is always becoming. It is cyclical, yet different every time. It is also a reflection on the symbiosis of the piano and the electronics, how they both need each other throughout, starting and finishing each other's gestures and colors. At the very end, when the electronics give out, the piano doesn't know how to continue, and the flow stops. These interacting and dependent streams were intentional attempts to honor Charles Ives, as is my metaphor of nature. I've always experienced his music in the transcendental way intended, with added touches of humor I hope to have honored in this piece as well. I want to take the opportunity here to deeply thank Jason Hardink for sharing his incredible talent with me, I can't think anyone better than him to bring this music to life.