Instrumentation: Solo Amplified Piano

Duration: 16 minutes

Date of Composition: 2004

About:

The title Asa Nisi Masa is taken from Frederico Fellini's film 8 1/2. Toward the middle of the film, a group of children are put to bed. One of the boys begins to stare at a portrait on the wall while his sister chants "ASA NISI MASA." The repeated spell is intended to make the eyes of the portrait's subject come to life. The general idea of transformation through repetition is central to this work, especially in the opening section in which an explosive cluster chord in the lowest register of the piano is slowly yet methodically altered.

Purchase a Recording:

Find Asa Nisi Masa and other major piano works by Drew Baker on Marilyn Nonken's 2011 disc Stress Position, released by New Focus Recordings. Click the "Add to Cart" button below to purchase a CD with complete liner notes or find digital downloads on iTunes and Amazon.