Having heard my mixed quintet Hovenweep played many times, I decided it was time to write a new "Pierrot ensemble" piece: flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano. For Running Quietly Amok I returned to the style of classic "grid-pulse postminimalism," if you know the term from my writings. It was not a moment in which to innovate; to have written music under capitalism all these years was bad enough, but to compose under fascism imposed almost a new relationship to society, and the reversion to compositional habits eased the transition. I had recently renotated my Disklavier piece Neptune Night, and a theme from that piece, running through my head, insinuated its way into this piece and gave it focus. I dedicate the piece to the great composer and my friend Daniel Lentz, who died just after I began it, in memoriam.

I include a MIDI recording, because in this case I think it represents the music rather well.

- Kyle Gann

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