Description
From OPENING DOORS, the in-progress collection of late-elementary piano pieces in keys of 2+ sharp/flat key signatures, this is Bourrée in C# major - the only elementary-level piano piece in C# major of which I (the composer) am aware.
Notes on the composition:
A bourrée is an uptempo dance of French origin that became a popular part of instrumental suites by Bach, Handel, and others. It is in duple or quadruple meter (2 or 4/x time), often contains a prominent "quarter 8th 8th" rhythm, and features a quarter-note upbeat to start the phrases. Ballet dancers associate it with a specific set of steps called the "pas de bourrée." In keeping with Baroque performance practice, the left-hand quarters should always be lightly detached and played with some bounce.
Notes on the collection:
The in-progress collection OPENING DOORS features mid-to-late beginner piano solos representing all key signatures with two or more sharps/flats (including enharmonics)--keys rarely seen in today's pedagogical piano literature for the early grades. This collection grew out of the high praise for my early intermediate collection of unusual-key solos, entitled VENTURING BEYOND and published in 2014, which led to some requests from teachers and adult students to write a similar collection a couple levels easier than most of Venturing Beyond's pieces.
These pieces, written in Baroque, Classical and Romantic styles, not only help acquaint students with the idea of reading "within keys," but they also introduce common musical genres of the Western Classical canon. These short, expressive compositions--each no more than two pages in a medium-sized font and requiring no more than a major sixth reach--are also ideal for adult students or college group piano students who desire to play musically satisfying repertoire that is within their technical grasp, but still suitable for public and private performance. Many of the pieces are cast in binary forms with repeats, which allows students to increase the length and substance of a piece for performance without requiring them to learn more musical material.
This volume also refrains from invoking programmatic titles or content that might suggest that it is geared toward the school-age student; thus, it is ideal for student pianists of all ages, from 5 to 105!
Fingerings are not included in this edition, given that ideal fingering choices vary widely among different hand sizes and are best decided upon by consultation with a knowledgeable teacher.