Midnight Chase: Piano

Goldston writes for the 6/8 time signature with genuine flair here, letting the compound meter drive the piece rather than merely containing it. The "with energy and intrigue" marking gives students permission to be bold and theatrical without losing control, which is refreshing at the intermediate level where restraint often wins out over personality.

Midnight Chase delivers exactly what its title promises: a sense of forward momentum and slight danger, with the 6/8 meter propelling you forward in two-beat patterns. The combination of excitement and intrigue suggests a deliberate, almost cinematic unfolding, not mere virtuosity for its own sake.

Intermediate pianists ready to tackle a solo that demands technical fluency and interpretive maturity. This works especially well for students who thrive on contemporary pieces with character and clear narrative drive rather than traditional romantic or classical forms.

• Feel the piece in two per measure rather than six; this helps the tempo stay buoyant and prevents the piece from dragging into a sluggish sixteenth-note texture.
• Mark exactly where the energy peaks and valleys live on your score before performing. Intrigue requires intentional dynamic sculpting, not just playing all the notes at performance volume.
• Work the rhythmic figures that define the "chase" element separately from the surrounding material so they land with precision and propel the narrative forward.
• Pay attention to your left hand's role in either anchoring the pulse or adding to the sense of chase; treating it as purely accompaniment will flatten the entire piece.

Perfect as a contemporary solo on a student recital where you want to showcase pianists who have technical command and interpretive range. It also works as a mid-program piece to shift energy on a mixed concert, or as a competition selection for students seeking a modern work with genuine stylistic identity.

• Executing 6/8 meter with forward-moving pulse in two rather than six
• Building and releasing tension through dynamic and textural layering
• Maintaining rhythmic precision while sustaining interpretive expression
• Balancing left-hand accompaniment figures with right-hand melodic priority