(February 4, 1993) "Solitude" was written at one sitting during a break between lessons, and first performed by Beth Cleaveland, in the spring recital of that year. Now she is Beth Cleaveland Smith, married and raising a family, and probably wishes she HAD more "solitude"!
This is also one of the few pieces that I have written that included student "input". During an early lesson, Beth over-reached a broken chord and played a C natural where she should have played a B. I liked the sound of the passage and changed it.
This piece has always been a favorite in my studio (until "Arietta" in 2005 it was my most-frequently-studied piece), and has been played by pianists of all ages. I have used it as a church offertory, and played it at weddings as well. It is a simple melody with just enough supporting broken chords to keep that melody front and center, with a few surprising harmonic turns along the way.
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