Imp's Romp

The other morning, Alex put another wonderful song clip on her blog site, entitled SonataScherzo @ 1:42. It was part of a much longer piano solo sonata that she published in 1997, sixteen minutes of cheery key rolls. This tiny piece of it kicked off my response:

Imp’s Romp

Scherzo
is the third piece
in a long sonata,
tinged with
“jazz-hued spikiness”,
something truly
sprightly and humorous,
approaching triple quick
time;
as Alex says smiling,
“an impish romp
through bitonality
that ends
with a laugh.”

I heard
and saw
Nickelodeon days,
interspersed with
Scott Joplin rolls,
early century melodies;
starched white collars,
brightly striped shirts,
with colorful arm bands,
bowlers and straw hats,
thick moustaches,
spats and spit-shine,
ice cream socials,
dressing for church
and still commuting in wagons,
ladies in bonnets,
barber shop quartets;
brown mugs of foamy beer,
speak easys,
juke joints,
jazz and blues parenting
the rolling keys of boogey woogey;
at a time when America
could still laugh,
not seeing the approach
of either the War
to end all wars,
or the angony of Depression.

Glenn Buttkus April 2008