My piano trio is dedicated to violinist Sydney Ebersohl, cellist Shu-Li Cheah, and pianist Vikki Chen. Of all of my chamber works, this piece has been one the most fun to compose! The piece has a very unique take on form because of its narrative. It is in three movements: I. Hyde to Jekyll, II. A Day In the Life, III. Jekyll to Hyde. 

 

If you’re familiar with the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, you’ll remember the intense battle Dr. Jekyll has with controlling his inner evil personality, Mr. Hyde. Over the course of the story Dr. Jekyll attempts to suppress the evil persona with potions until Mr. Hyde gets so out of hand that he has to take his own life to stop Mr. Hyde’s murderous rampage.

 

Each movement of the piece is crafted in a way where a good battles evil. The first movement goes from Mr. Hyde’s chaotic persona to Dr. Jekyll’s sweet nature. The second movement, A Day In the Life, is a blues in which both personalities constantly fight each other for control. This idea manifests itself with rapid chaotic interruptions in the same way that Mr. Hyde would interrupt Dr. Jekyll‘s daily life in the story. The third movement is an inverse of the first with a variation of Dr. Jekyll’s theme slowly being taken over by Mr. Hyde, who ultimately seizes complete control through to the end.