Friday, June 26, 2015

Song/Week: 3 Simple Minuets by Bjorn Mercer

I was trying to figure out what to call this piece and I went back and forth between attempting something clever and something straightforward. In the end I decided to call it what the movements are; three short, simple minuets.


For those who are not familiar with minuets, the minuet is a European dance form in ¾ that eventually led to the scherzo and the waltz. During the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, pretty much everyone wrote minuets in one form or the other with countless contemporary composers looking into the past for musical inspiration.


As I was describing these pieces to one of my colleagues the other day, she asked me what my inspiration for these three movements were. Unlike A Light in the Attic that was directly inspired by the poems of Shel Silverstein, 3 Simple Minuets was inspired by my #trueheartsduet, my wife and partner. Although these pieces are not swelling with passion like Mahler or sublimely beautiful like art songs by Faure they are inspired by the woman who holds my heart, takes care of my children, who makes me laugh harder than anyone else, and is the one I hold as I fall asleep.

I would like to thank Paul Nersesian for letting me borrow his Godin; it is a great instrument and fun to play.





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