HARD-BOILED

PROGRAM NOTE

A miniature piano concerto, Hard-Boiled Wonderland takes inspiration from author Haruki Murakami. Murakamiʻs novel Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, was a title inspired by hard-boiled detective novels and Lewis Carrollʻs Aliceʻs Adventures in Wonderland. While there is no direct connection to Murakamiʻs novel, the work unfolds in the manner of his novels, which often take the reader through a surreal and absurd journey ending sometimes without resolve. The motives and rhythms suggest characters and narratives that twist and turn through an imaginary story of wonder and absurdity.

The work was commissioned by Janet Cooke and dedicated to a warm coat.