I used to visit all the very gay places;
Those come-what-may places,
Where one relaxes on the axis
Of the wheel of life
To get the feel of life
From jazz and cocktails.

The gals (girls) I knew had sad and sullen gray faces
With distingué traces
That used to be there
You could see where
They’d been washed away
By too many through the day
Twelve o’clock tales

Then you came along
With your siren song
To tempt me to madness
I thought for awhile
That your poignant smile
Was tinged with the sadness
Of a great love for me Ah! yes I was wrong. Again I was wrong.

Life is lonely again,
And only last year everything seemed so sure.
Now life is awful again,
A troughful of hearts could only be a bore.

A week in Paris will ease the bite of it;
All I care is to smile in spite of it.
I’ll forget you I will
While yet you are still Burning inside my brain.

Romance is mush Stifling those who strive
I’ll live a lush life
In some small dive.
And there I’ll be
While I rot with the rest
Of those whose lives are lonely too.

It is said that Billy Strayhorn wrote these lyrics for his masterpiece, “Lush Life”, when he was in his late teens, some say at the age of 16, some say 18. He was born in November of 1915 so he turned 16 in 1931 and 18 in 1933. Either way it was the Great Depression and that is certainly reflected in these words. How could a teenager be so keenly aware about these things? It is known that he earned enough money delivering purchases for the Pittsburg Pharmacy to buy his first piano and was invited into some of the customers’ homes to play their pianos, but he likely also played piano in local cocktail lounges there and was exposed to the dreary lives he describes in this song noir. Then Duke Ellington hired him and remarked that this piece reflects Strayhorn’s classical music training. Indeed, the melody and harmony are at the highest level of musical complexity and sophistication but when you factor in these original lyrics, his talents are even more impressive. Then, he was both black and gay at a time when either quality could have gotten him killed. He no doubt experienced more than enough personal disappointment and oppression early in his own life to inform these lyrics. Copyright © 2025 David Kenstad Compositions, All Rights Reserved

“Piano étude N° 1”

The “Piano Etude No. 1” by David Kenstad is the first in a series of piano études exploring harmonies and rhythms normally associated with African-American musical genres while presented in forms normally associated with European classical music, both genres dating back more than 300 years. These may also present piano students with significant challenges though always within reach.
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“Piano étude N° 2”

The tempo and mood of “Piano Etude No. 2” by David Kenstad is marked “Agitato” and a quarter note equals 190 beats per minute and that provides a rather lively atmosphere and some drama for this short study for the piano keyboard.
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“Piano étude N° 3”

Making use of so-called “Jazz” harmonic progressions this piano étude will challenge the pianist’s left hand technique as well as left hand-right hand coordination, rhythmically playing 2 against 3 for example. Though not pure Stride piano, that style from the early 20th century made famous by James P. Johnson, Willie “the Lion” Smith and Thomas “Fast” Waller is referenced in this piece as well, also challenging the pianist.
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“Piano étude N° 4”

“Romantic”

Subtitled “Romantic” this piano étude presents the piano student with an opportunity for self-expression in the neo-romantic style of the early 20th century, along with “2 against 3” rhythmic challenges and rich harmonies. The key change from D Major to g# minor is another nod to the tritone interval so predominant in the work of this composer, David Kenstad.
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“Piano étude N° 5”

Piano Etude No. 5 by David Kenstad is an upbeat return to the composer’s familiar style heavily influenced by Jazz improvisation. Pianists may find this one to be fun to play while also offering a challenge.
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“Piano étude N° 6”

This is a short étude, a little over 3 minutes, allowing the pianist to demonstrate legato style with dexterity and flexibility in the right hand while the left does a little stride piano and walking bass with chords. The idea for the piece began with a very simple melody matched with a more complex chord progression. This first appears at measure 17. The chord progression is repeated with an elaborate melody emulating an improvisation style. A contrasting bridge section begins at measure 41 which consists of only 2 chords, 2 measures each, repeating a few times until returning to the original chord progression.
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“Piano Etude No 7”

“A Lively Chaconne”

This piano étude allows the pianist to rely on a repeated pattern in the left hand, a lively syncopated basso ostinato, while the right hand explores variations of melodic ideas in an improvisatory style.

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“2 Part Invention”

After more than a year’s self-imposed sabbatical, composer David Kenstad has returned, albeit with a tiny offering compared to past postings, including a 5-movement symphony, this time with a nod to J. S. Bach with this 2-Part Invention. It is a light spirited miniature, having fun. Although this seems like a minimal effort it is certainly not minimalism. Instead, this piece obviously retains the traditional concepts of thematic development to hold the listener’s attention for the very short time required to give it a hearing.
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“Sonata for Piano, 1st Movement” by David Kenstad

Written for piano in classic sonata-allegro form, the tonal and rhythmic style of this piece is reminiscent of 1970s Soul and R & B. In fact, its fading pencil draft was discovered in a stack of old music probably written during the latter part of that decade or possibly around 1980. A separate unfinished draft containing the same motifs has crude hand writing on its back side written in Persian which the composer did not start studying until 1980. Along with it was found a large portion of a 2nd movement, a slow blues, which may be revived and finished sometime this year as well.
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“Dance suite for piano”

I. Dance and Trio

II. Rondo

III. Waltz

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“Dance Suite for piano, I. Dance and Trio”

Though certainly not a minuet, this piece does harken back to classical ternary form, even putting the trio into a key a perfect fifth higher than the exposition, the opening section, marked “Presto”. The contrasting Trio section is marked “Meno Mosso”, less motion, but the eighth notes, or quavers, are the same tempo as in the first section, only set as triplets. So it isn’t really less motion, the dancing is just a bit slower. The Trio also harkens back to the Romantic period in its harmonies and style. This piece demands a versatile left hand but its difficulty is tempered by the ease of the keys, meaning that the motifs are written to lie well for easy reach. Press the Play button.

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“Dance suite for piaNo. ii. Rondo”

Following the classic Rondo form, ABACABA, this dance for piano adds a slightly different twist (not the dance from the late 1950s) by adding miniature development sections for each theme before the final recap.  Reading the measure numbers at the top of the screen you will hear a tribute to the masters of the Baroque era for about 8 measures beginning at measure 82, about 4 minutes in. The debt owed to the African American music masters is obvious.
© David Kenstad Compositions 2025 All Rights Reserved

“Dance Suite for piano, III. Waltz”

Here is  a waltz for piano written in the Theme and Variations form, but following the innovation of Charlie “Bird” Parker, the variations are not based on the theme as much as they are based on the chord pattern or “figured bass” as it would have been in the Baroque period.
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Fantasia for Piano, “Enigma”

This piano piece conveys poignant, expressive, and reflective treatment of themes going through development including inversion and augmentation. Although sounding very challenging to perform, it lies very well and comfortably, making use of cross-over hands where appropriate.
© David Kenstad Compositions 2025 All Rights Reserved

Impromptu No. 1 for piano

Impromptu – As if improvised.. The tempo is marked Vivace and the composition includes walking bass as well as upbeats lending a feeling of forward motion and improvisation. The interval of a major ninth prevails throughout along with fourths, and a minor key until the coda, in which the main theme is transformed with the feel of down-home gospel.
© David Kenstad Compositions 2025 All Rights Reserved