Fof Martin Boykan's Birthday Festschrift.(Brief Article)

I FIRST GOT TO KNOW Marty Boykan through his music. I heard Eric Moe perform Marty's Fantasy Sonata on an Earplay concert in San Francisco, and I was bowled over. The piece was beautiful and extremely lyrical, and formally it was crystal clear. I could hear passages where intervals were distinctly being emphasized, each time a different interval. And the piano writing was quite natural and personal. Never before, or since, have I heard myself uttering such a gushing phrase about a piece as I did to a friend at intermission: the piece caressed its intervals. Never since, either, have I been moved to write to a composer I hardly knew about how profoundly beautiful I found his music, as I was then. Marty responded graciously (and to the wrong address), and it was the beginning of a friendship.

Over the years I got to know more of Marty's music, which continued to confirm my initial impression: the multi-movement Elegy, the Symphony, the Second Piano Sonata, the new String Quartet, the new Piano Trio, a year's worth of songs. In every moment is an unfailing lyrical, singing quality, a great depth of counterpoint and voice leading, formal clarity, phrases that do different things every time, and occasionally that lovely slow trill that keeps the listener swept up while there are scene changes in the music. As much as I'd like to steal the great stuff in Marty's music, I don't think I, or anyone, could do so ...