USMAN anees
pakistan

“Shades of Indus” was composed in 2022 will be premiered in the summer of 2023. It is connected to Beethoven’s Sonata no. 6 in F Major, Op. 10 No. 2.

Dedication:
Fluting down the valleys green,
Nestled amid the mountain tops.
Loud and clear through lush fields,
Hear the Indus flowing down.
As its waves echo with notes,
Of this land’s mystic folk

Usman Anees is a pianist and composer and holds a Masters degree in both fields from the Trinity College of London. He started learning piano in his home country of Pakistan at the age of 8 from his father Ijaz Anees. He gave his debut concert at the age of 12 in Karachi. In subsequent years, he performed widely all over Pakistan in embassies, consulates and cultural centers. At the age of 20, he gave his international debut in Berlin with a solo recital to great acclaim at the prestigious Mendelssohn Gesellschaft. Since then, he has performed solo, in collaboration with other visiting artists and also worked as a recording musician all over the world. Recently, he recorded Beethoven’s complete 32 Piano Sonatas.  

As a composer, he has written solo piano music, a Symphony, Piano Concerto and other orchestral works. His music was selected and performed by the orchestra of the Singaporean Music Festival. Usman is a published composer and his works are available in print and for online streaming.

As an educator, he maintains a busy schedule teaching piano and other musical fields. He lives in Karachi, Pakistan.

Composer’s Note:

“Shades of Indus" is loosely based on the classical Sonata-Allegro form. Woven in is a folk tune from the Sindh region of Pakistan which acts as the main theme and subsequently takes on many guises. The modal harmonies suggested by the folk tune appear in a variety of colors throughout the piece, and the virtuosic piano writing traverses through a wide range of moods. The work is connected to Beethoven’s Sonata no. 6 in F Major Op.10 No.2, and like the Sonata has “F” as its central tonality. Material from the Beethoven sonata is referenced during the development section. At the final section of the work, another Beethoven theme, the Donna Nobis Pacem” theme from Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis makes an appearance. This is the “Peace motif” unifying “Shades of Indus” with the other commissioned pieces for the “32 Bright Clouds” project. The appearance of the Missa Solemnis theme ushers in the eventual revelation of the original folk tune in full bloom.

The piece begins with a drone in the bass, a recurring effect throughout the entire composition. The first-subject theme, appearing in octaves, has a song-like nature reflecting the rural areas in Pakistan. During the transition, the folk tune becomes agitated, resolving into the dominant C minor. The second-subject theme is a lively and witty tune which is freely developed, and the entire exposition closes in C major. The development section begins with a new theme, which makes use of the music of the Sufis (mystics in Islam). As the new material transitions to G minor, the opening theme interrupts and the mystic theme re-enters in diminution with material from the second movement of Beethoven's F major sonata in counterpoint. As the Sufi theme "makes peace" with Beethoven's, it develops further in variation form, bringing together various parts from the earlier themes as well. At the close of the development section, the Sindhi theme makes a passionate entry and leads to the recapitulation. Here, the second-subject theme group is treated like a cadenza, exploring freely the possibilities of the materials introduced earlier.  The conflict in the “cadenza” is interrupted and sweetly guided to the resolution of the piece, where the Sindhi theme and the Missa Solemnis theme join together in peaceful co-existence. At the very end, the music takes on a celebratory and festive character.

The work’s dedication was written by the composer with his sister, Saba Anees.

This commission was made possible by The Adele and John Gray Endowment Fund.