Commissioned by Christine Coyiuto through The Canada Council.
Jean Coulthard Image Astrale , 1981 Commissioned by: Christine Coyiuto, with the assistance of The Canada Council Premiered by: “Jean Coulthard’s Image Astrale for solo piano is a miniature evocation of a myriad of musical styles, all set down with consummate skill.” Jacob Siskind, Ottawa Citizen, October 18, 1988 “After I had finished Sonata for Two Pianos (‘Of the Universe;’ 1979), with its three movements, ‘Constellations’, ‘The Vast Night’, and ‘Cosmic’, I wanted to develop these ideas. Image Astrale is a dramatic work, written about my thoughts and feelings when I contemplate the stars. The title describes how the heavenly bodies provoke our imagination. There is such an interest in the universe today that I feel we should try to project ourselves into it, one way or another.”