Fear of Falling in Love

Program Notes

There is a very common dream most of us had had at one time; We’re falling, and suddenly we catch ourselves. Often such a dream might even startle us awake.

I’ve heard some scientists theorize this might be a remnant of our prehistoric mammalian brain;how as apes in Africa, we would sleep in trees to avoid predators, and the threat of falling  while asleep could have very dire results.

The piece is a simple meditation on these two basic emotional states - love and fear, and how they interact, and contrast each other, perhaps even feed each other at times.  

The musical feeling of this trio is somewhat rhapsodic.   I suppose I was trying to imagine what “rhapsodic fear” & “rhapsodic love” might sound like as an inspiration.

– Jeff Beal