Seth-bagatellen by Barret Anspach

I wrote Seth-bagatellen, a set of five piano pieces, as a birthday gift for Seth Garrison in 2017, at his request. Later that year we married. Last year, at the end of our divorce, Seth gave me the gift of these recordings, performed by David Friend and recorded in July of 2023 at Oktaven Audio in New York.

A lot of life has happened between composing these in 2017 and now: my mother-in-law passing after an accelerated battle with ALS; the pandemic; buying a house in Bremerton, WA; adopting our newborn son Estes; a new job; divorce; moving back to Seattle; and my father unexpectedly passing away in April of this year.

My reluctance to publicly share recordings of my composition with others is outweighed by this latest reminder in my life that none of us has all that much time; and the realization, too, that love, however it changes shape over time, is always a gift; and that by releasing these recordings, I’m paying forward a gift that over the intervening years, it seems to me, has only continued to grow.

David’s exquisite and moving performance of this work really brings it to life — I hope you’ll give it a listen, and if it moves you, send it to somebody you love.

Barret Anspach (b.1986) is an American composer and musician. He graduated from The Juilliard School with a Bachelor’s of Music with Scholastic Distinction in 2009 and a Master’s of Music in 2010.

barretanspach.com
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