Judith Lang Zaimont, A Calendar Set: Twelve preludes for piano solo (1972-78)

Click here to listen to these pieces. (You may wish to open these in a new tab or window so that you can look at the questions while you listen.) The preludes are in calendar order in the recording; it may be difficult to tell just by looking.

This work is a good example of program music, which is typically defined as music based on some sort of extra-musical idea (a poem, a painting, etc.). In this case, each prelude corresponds to a month of the year.

Questions:

1. What characteristics of each month is Zaimont trying to evoke? By what musical means does she do this?
   
2. This work appears to be more accessible (i.e., listener-friendly) than many on this blog (see, for instance, Webern's variations for piano). What musical features make this piece a bit easier to listen to?
   
3. Zaimont draws on works and styles of other composers in this piece (if you need convincing, listen to "December"). What composers/compositions does she evoke? How does she do this?
   
4. In what ways is this piece conservative (i.e., looking to the past)? In what ways is this piece modern (i.e., forging new ground, looking toward the future)?
   
5. These are preludes, a generic title that seems to suggest that they "come before" something. What, if anything, do they precede?
   

Additional resources:

• An interview with Zaimont regarding the calendar pieces
  
• A link to samples of the score (in PDF) at Jabez Press