In Time’s Unfolding by Chester Biscardi

In Time’s Unfolding, by Chester Biscardi, is a piece I never could have played when I was young. I lacked the seasoning of years lived, loves, and losses that this gorgeous music portrays so poetically.  Only now, in my more mature years, can I glimpse a patience and optimism that comes from knowing that life is fatal, but not tragic—a sentiment I feel best describes my understanding of In Time’s Unfolding.

In Chester’s words, “In Time’s Unfolding...is reflective—of the past, of one’s self—and celebrates the moment...Time unfolds over a musical landscape that is at once poignant and painful, lonely, celebratory, and heroic.  The title comes from the seventh section of Galway Kinnell’s eleven-part poem, When One Has Lived a Long Time Alone.”

Biscardi’s performance notes encourage the pianist to take a flexible interpretation of the tempi—a suggestion I embraced whole-heartedly.  This video was shot by my friend, Bob Wall, in my home.  

To order a copy of this piece, visit Chester’s website: Chester Biscardi