24 Piano Miniatures, B. 4
DOC: August 2024
The Twenty-Four Piano Miniatures are a set of pieces representing each major and minor key. They follow a classical legacy from composers starting with JS Bach. They are ordered in the circle of fifths, similar to the famous preludes in Opus 28 of Fredric Chopin. These pieces are vastly different from each other but nonetheless retain a sense of unity. Every relative key is paired with each other, acting as a sort of a balance. They represent a wide variety of difficulties- a few are suitable for beginners; others, however, are rather advanced. As a whole they are appropriate for most late-intermediate pianists. It is also important to note that these titles are nicknames given to the pieces by other people. They are not official names.
Miniature No. 1 in C Major "The Journey"
Miniature No. 2 in A minor "Melancholy"
Miniature No. 3 in G Major "The Fairgrounds"
Miniature No. 4 in E minor "Reflections"
Miniature No. 5 in D Major "Écossaise "
Miniature No. 6 in B minor "Anxiety"
The first set of six brings 3 exuberant and excited major key pieces. The first of the 6 is a melodic piece built on a wide, repeating. base line. The direct opening acts as a beginning to the whole set. Both number 3 and 5 seem rather uplifting. The listener, however, may feel a touch of melancholy, especially with 3. These are a stark contrast to their relative minors. The first is a dark piece built on a soaring melody and a moving, chromatic base. The second is perhaps the easiest piece in the whole set- a flowing and subdued piece. The concluding piece of the 6 is an unpredictable piece built upon a triplet chromatic scale.
Miniature No. 7 in A Major "The Wind"
Miniature No. 8 in F-sharp minor "Tornado"
Miniature No. 9 in E Major, "Coral Reef"
Miniature No. 10 in C-sharp minor, Presto, non-tanto, "Cascades"
Miniature No. 11 in B Major, Mazurka, "Village Dance"
Miniature No. 12 in G-sharp minor, "Heroic"
The set begins with a brisk piece composed of triplets in the right hand with sextuplets in the left. Its minor counterpart could be considered a reverse variation on the theme. It could be interpreted as the dangerous chaos wind causes. The Coral Reef heads down into the tranquil serenity of the ocean with a drawn-out melody in the bass. A repeating texture in the right hand could symbolize the hypnotic beauty of the coral reef. In a sudden change of pace, the 10th miniature follows violent, cascading arpeggios leading into an intense musical climax followed by a sostenuto melody. The coda ends on a high note before crashing down into a decisive V-I. Number eleven is a mazurka utilizing familiar folksy chord progressions. The final of this set is a triumphant theme accompanied by an acrobatic left hand. This piece contains several runs and plenty of octaves. It is the only miniature to end in a relative key.
Miniature No. 13 in G-flat Major, "Fireworks"
Miniature No. 14 in E-flat minor "Romance"
Miniature No. 15 in D-flat Major "Ecstasy"
Miniature No. 16 in B-flat minor, Lento, "Regret"
Miniature No. 17 in A-flat Major, Valse
Miniature No. 18 in F Minor, Vivace agitato, "Rapids"
The first miniature of this group is a brief prelude that utilizes the black keys in the g-flat pentatonic scale. The second half of the piece is very different in character. Number fourteen is a slow romance. At first this pair seems rather different from each other, but they follow a similar 2-part form. The fifteenth is quite dissimilar from the others. It follows an unusual 12/4-time signature that morphs into other times throughout the piece. Both hands play an alternating rapid fire-style 8th note rhythm. Its relative key counterpart is completely different in character and is perhaps the darkest of the set. Number 17 is in the style of a Viennese waltz. The final of this group is a tormented and aggressive piece. Its character suddenly changes towards the end, but the listener is fooled when the agitation once again sets in and chaotically ends the piece on a dramatic iv-V-I
Miniature No. 19 in E-flat Major, rag, "The Honeydew Rag"
Miniature No. 20 in C minor, moderato, "Fugue Fantasy"
Miniature No. 21 in B-flat Major, "A Lost Memory"
Miniature No. 22 in G minor "Autumn Breeze"
Miniature No. 23 in F Major "Humoresque"
Miniature No. 24 in D minor "Finale"
Postlude
The final set of six begins with a rag. This rag has an ABA' form. The middle section modulates to g-flat major and quickly concludes back into the A theme. The twentieth is non-traditional fugue. It begins like your typical baroque fugue but quickly modulates and changes into a theme in A and slowly makes its way back. The next is a slow, chorale type piece featuring a descending theme. The middle section utilizes chromatic diminished chords. The 23rd is a piece fit for the French salon. It is a laid-back piece that suddenly concludes to a fiery coda. After there is a sudden modulation to A-flat major and ends with a pentatonic scale. The next miniature is the shortest in the entire set. It is only a brief interlude before the finale to come. The technically demanding finale begins with a sudden tritone before the main theme starts. This aggressive theme goes through various falling chord progressions before fading away and never seen again. After a short transition, a triumphant variation of the B theme of the first Miniature emerges in the parallel major. This theme takes off into different directions, patterns, and modulations. The B theme briefly returns one final time in D minor before heading into the final coda of the set. The coda ends with a furious V-I before crashing down into the lowest D note on the keyboard. This concludes the 24 Miniatures.
You may notice the postlude at the end. This is only meant to be played if one repeats the set. The postlude leads back into the first miniature. The entire set is linked and arranged in one large circular pattern. Feel free to check out the set on musescore.com: 24 Miniatures, B.4 sheet music by Ethan C. Brown | Play, print, and download in PDF or MIDI sheet music on Musescore.com
