Triptych | for guitar trio by Frank A. Wallace

Originally a short “unfinished” work from 2001, Triptych was substantially expanded with two new movements in the winter of 2007 for The Back Bay Guitar Trio, and Italian guitarist Gianluca Tremendo. The piece is a fable in three movements of the journey of the composer’s mother’s departing soul: Dolor de Amor, Levantéme and ¡Ay! Linda Amiga. Themes weave throughout the three movements, the final section being a set of variations on a memorable four-part song given to the composer and his trio by the organist of the ancient Catalan town of Cardona, on a walking/singing tour though the Catalan Pyrenees the summer of 1979. The first and last movements are in a sweet tonal style while the middle movement is a “minimalist” canon, which undulates through chordal clashes and slow resolutions including many overlapping and varying groups of 16th notes.