Quiet Rhythms is a series of short piano pieces that are written in pairs consisting of a prologue and action. In creating each pair, the action is composed first and is syncopated and rhythmic. The prologue uses the same harmonic patterns of the action but is non-syncopated or “smooth”.
The prologue is performed first before the action of the same number. Each book contains 11 prologues and actions and, currently there are four books. You can view the first page of each piece here.
Here is the opening to Action 1 of Quiet Rhythms:
The action was written first and then the prologue was derived from it. Prologue 1 below uses the same harmony of Action 1 and, the rhythmic pattern is “smoothed out”. This process is followed with all 44 prologues and actions in Books I – IV.
In this particular prologue, the harmony of measure 1 corresponds to measures 1 – 4 in Action 1 above. Measure 2 here corresponds to measures 5 – 8 in Action 1. Measure 3 corresponds to measures 9 – 12 in Action 1 and, measure 4 corresponds to measures 13 -16 in Action 1. This reductive technique is applied in all of the prologues throughout Quiet Rhythms.
Here is a performance of Prologue and Action 1:
Extraordinary pianists from around the world who perform Quiet Rhythms:
Music, Polyphony and Polyrhythm 