The Benoni | Joshua Kyan Aalampour

"The Benoni" is a piano piece I composed inspired by both the Book of Genesis and chess.

I chose the title “The Benoni” because I wanted the music to reflect the bittersweet nature between loss and hope. “Benoni” is Hebrew for “son of my sorrow” and comes from the biblical story of Rachel. As she gives birth to her second son, she suffers and knows she’s going to pass away, so she names her son “Benoni”.

“Benoni” is also in reference to the Benoni chess opening, which is one of my favorites. It’s an unconventional opening that, in my opinion, bears a certain beauty to it. My favorite games are:

(Tal vs. Gurgenidze - 1957)
(Fischer vs. Spassky Game 3 - 1972)
(Kasparov vs. Korchnoi - 1982)

Below are some easter eggs I included in the piece:

-There’s a direct modulation down a minor 3rd at 0:23, from Dm to Bm, which has a bittersweet quality to my ears.

-The piece then modulates from B minor to F minor — a tritone modulation. This is the most distant modulation possible. I've always associated this key change with a sense of heartbreak or emotional pain since some romantic composers use similar tritone shifts in their music to mirror themes of longing and sorrow.

-My leitmotif is quoted at 1:10 and 1:34.

-The main theme is blended into my “Raindrop Waltz No. 1 in B Minor” (2020) at 1:12.

-My piece “Reverie” (2020) is referenced at 1:28.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/5fZcCj...

Original TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joshuaaalampo...

Sheet music coming soon.