Piano Ensemble

These pieces date from the mid 1980s and represent a portion of my chamber works for small piano ensembles.

Embryo - one of two pieces transcribed from recorded improvisations by myself and violinist Kristin Smith, and refined.  Much of my musical career has consisted of explorations into the line between composition and improvisation.  Here they merge fully .  Embryo is probably my favorite composition from that period - it has an organic feeling that evoked for me images of a developing embryo. (Nick Dallett, piano, Kristin Smith, violin)

Serenade - the other one of the two pieces based on improvised sessions.  This piece has a wildness that I like - a feeling I try to cultivate in much of my music by using polytonality and polyrhythm to create  and maintain a lean musical tension. (Nick Dallett, piano, Kristin Smith, violin)

Gypsy Serenade - an exuberant piece inspired by my explorations into the gypsy guitar jazz of Django Reinhardt.  You won't hear Django or Stefan in this piece, but the roots are there.  This piece evokes brooding smoke and leaping fire. (Nick Dallett, piano, Kristin Smith, violin)

Perpetual Movement - If there's such a thing as "Nick Dallett's greatest hits," this piece leads the pack.  I wrote this in my senior year of high school, inspired by Novacek's Perpetuum Mobile, but didn't  get to hear it for several years.  Kristin loved this piece immediately, and it became a favorite at our concerts. (Nick Dallett, piano, Kristin Smith, violin)

Gabrielle's Waltz - one of the few times I wrote a piece for a lover while I was still in the relationship.  Hence, this lacks the brooding tone typical of my dedications.  A sweet little waltz played simply, without development of the theme. (Nick Dallett, piano, Kristin Smith, violin)

Piano Trio #1 (Daybreak) - a trio for piano, violin, and cello in four movements.  The title comes from the second movement (Northwest Sunrise), which uses the gradual shift in tonality from minor through dorian to major to suggest the transition from night to dawn.  One of the few examples of true "program music" in my work.  Listen for the chickadee's song once the sun rises. (Nick Dallett, piano, Kristin Smith, violin, Laura Barrett, cello)

	1 - Allegro and fugue
	2 - Northwest sunrise
	3 - Scherzo
	4 - Finale