Apropos (Daniel Gilliam)

This is my recording of Apropos, composer Daniel Gilliam. He describes this piece as an “imagined conversation between Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein.” I picture them at a dinner or cocktail party, perhaps after a drink or two.  The phrasing in the middle is animated and lively, while the opening and closing theme – a nod to Copland’s Piano Variations – is distant and reflective, like leaving the party to stand outside on the balcony to behold the stars for a moment. My favorite section comes midway through the dialogue, in a section marked simply “warm” on the sheet music. I picture the conversation drawing into something more personal and intimate for a brief but poignant moment.