Island Songs is a three movement work which draws inspiration from certain styles of Greek dance. Rather than seeking to produce musical representations of these dance styles, Psathas regards Island Songs as being illustrative of his reaction to the unique energy inherent within them.
Originally for clarinet, cello and piano (PE177), this arrangement of Island Songs for piano trio was produced after a request by the Ogen Trio. Recorded versions of Island Songs appear on the Ogen Trio's Ahi: The Ogen Trio (ACD108), and the New Zealand Trio's Spark (MMT2066).
The first movement involves a number of styles and reflects what I perceive as the latent energy in much of this music – although here this energy only surfaces from time to time. The second is a reaction to the great strength of the zeibekiko dance, which is in 9/4 time, and often extremely slow. While not cast in the same time frame as a true zeibekiko, this movement does dwell upon the uncertainty of the downbeat and the intensely focused emotional content of this dance. The third movement is much in the style of the sirto dance, whose energy is always lively and unfailingly contagious.
