Stayin' Alive

Program Notes

The Refraction series transforms iconic songs from popular music into highly pianistic concert works, each shaped by a surprising creative premise.

Refraction No. 1: “Stayin’ Alive” takes its inspiration from one of classical music’s most delightful acts of musical wit. In the “Tortoises” movement of Carnival of the Animals, Saint-Saëns transformed Offenbach’s famously frenetic Can-Can into the ponderous gait of a turtle. I apply a similar idea to the Bee Gees’ disco classic, affectionately dubbing the result “Turtle Stayin’ Alive.”

The arrangement opens not with a crawl but with a burst of dazzling virtuosity, racing through the song’s familiar introduction with infectious rhythmic energy. When the chorus arrives, however, time seems to stretch. Although the glittering disco accompaniment continues to pulse beneath the surface, the melody is suddenly lost in a time warp, unfolding at half and even quarter speed, creating the mesmerizing illusion watching a crowded dance floor in slow motion. After building back to the opening’s exuberant momentum, the work closes with one final hypnotic return of its turtle-inspired chorus.

—Greg Anderson