Valentine for Piano: Piano (Solo)

Hersch wrote this piece in 20 minutes on Valentine's Day, then spent years refining it through performance until he understood its shape deeply enough to write out what had been improvised. The result is a solo piano work that feels both spontaneous and inevitable, giving pianists who don't improvise access to a Grammy-nominated composition that hasn't lost an ounce of its charm. It sits perfectly as an encore or recital closer, satisfying in its brevity and memorable enough to stick with audiences.

Intimate and unhurried, as though someone is sharing a memory or a private thought. The piece opens with gentle exploration, finds its melodic anchor, then drifts into reflection before resolving with quiet certainty. There's warmth throughout without sentimentality.

Pianists who want rewarding solo repertoire that feels contemporary without being forbidding, and those curious about how jazz and classical sensibilities can coexist in one piece. Teachers looking for graceful encore material or students ready to engage with rubato and harmonic sophistication will find plenty here.

• Treat the opening improvisatory section as a prologue to the main melody rather than a passage to rush. The rubato here sets the emotional temperature for everything that follows.
• Lock into the rhythmic character once the melody enters; Hersch's writing at that point becomes quite structured, and the contrast with the opening will feel sharper if you commit to the pulse.
• Notice where harmonic movement slows or accelerates. Hersch uses harmonic rhythm to shape phrases, and you'll find natural breathing points if you follow the chord changes rather than fighting them.
• The written-out improvisation sections are abbreviated versions of what Hersch originally performed. Respect what's on the page, but let your interpretation of pacing and color emerge naturally from the harmonic content.

This 12-page work functions beautifully as an encore or the closing piece of a solo recital, particularly one devoted to contemporary American piano music or jazz-inflected composition. It also works as part of a mixed program that pairs classical and jazz traditions, offering a bridge between worlds.

• Interpreting written-out improvisation and maintaining musical coherence across rubato
• Understanding harmonic rhythm as a structural tool
• Balancing notated music with the performer's interpretive voice
• Shaping longer phrases through subtle tempo and dynamic control