Albert Glinsky

Sunbow was written for the composer's wife, harpsichordist Linda Kobler. A sunbow is a rainbow, or spectrum of light, which appears when sunlight strikes a spray of water. Glinsky's Sunbow uses the many varied colors of the harpsichord as a metaphor, to suggest the radiance of a sunbow. The piece opens with a contemporary take on the Baroque unmeasured prelude, continuing with music recalling the harpsichord's traditional 18th century fare of counterpoint and rolled-chord sonorities, filtered through the lens of 20th century American popular music. Sunbow received the Audience Prize and Publication Award at the 1986 Alienor International Competition in Washington, D.C. A contemporary virtuoso piece, Sunbow has been performed by a wide range of harpsichordists, and recorded by Elaine Funaro on the Centaur label.