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Bridge - Heart's Ease

Discussion in 'Submission Room' started by pianolady, Jan 19, 2014.

  1. pianolady

    pianolady Monica Hart, Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Here is a little piece I picked up just last night. It's by Frank Bridge, composed in 1921. It's only 8 lines long but I think it is pretty. I wish you could have been with me as I recorded it. I had the house to myself, it was dusk, and snowing gently outside. Very lovely and peaceful. The title is meaningful to me, as well.

    I will be off the forum for some time, maybe a week or two. If anyone wants to talk to me about something, please do not use the private messaging system here, but instead email me. My address is linked to the email bubble which you see at the bottom of this window when you are logged in.

    Bridge - 3 Lyrics, no. 1 "Heart's Ease"
     
    pianolady, Jan 19, 2014
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  2. StuKautsch

    StuKautsch Member Piano Society Artist

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    Gorgeous. I'll have to read up on Bridge.
     
    StuKautsch, Jan 19, 2014
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  3. andrew

    andrew Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist

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    That's lovely. Wow - that cadencial chord at 1.23. I'm hearing F natural, A, D#, F#. That's tangy.
     
    andrew, Jan 21, 2014
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  4. pianoman342

    pianoman342 Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Hi Monica,

    I listened to you recording, never heard of Bridge before, much less this piece. I can see why it would have been nice to hear it as snow was falling. Those descending two notes in the high register are... Christmasy for lack of a better (real) word! And I do like that chord Andrew pointed out sounds like something Gershwin would write.
     
    pianoman342, Jan 21, 2014
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  5. pianolady

    pianolady Monica Hart, Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Thank you for listening, Stu, Andrew, and Riley. I've only heard a couple other pieces by Bridge, but I liked what I heard, so hopefully this summer I can have time to explore more of his music.

    @Andrew - "tangy" is a good word. I like 'sumptuous' for those harmonies too.
     
    pianolady, Jan 24, 2014
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  6. Rachfan

    Rachfan Active Member Piano Society Artist

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    Hi Monica,

    That was a truly beautiful piece and performance. I really enjoyed listening. It sounds almost like an oriental reverie.

    David
     
    Rachfan, Feb 1, 2014
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  7. pianolady

    pianolady Monica Hart, Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Hi David,
    You're right, it does sound oriental. Thank you for listening! :)
     
    pianolady, Feb 1, 2014
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  8. rainer

    rainer New Member

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    What a charming piece, thank you! Parts of it are a bit over the romantic top, almost trite, and would not be out of place as background music to a slushy movie. How did Bridge know what kind of movies we'd be making nearly a century later? But the overall effect is peaceful and contemplative.

    What sounds oriental about it is that the parallel fourths in the opening and closing sections (and the occasional interjections) have a pentatonic feel about them.
    Are they what you think of as suggesting snowflakes? I think "angelic" fits too.

    I dug out the music at IMSLP and was at first a little disappointed to find that those angelic bits are actually hexatonic. In other words, they feature six of the seven notes of the (in this case E) major scale. But on closer examination, the angels are singing in a three-part choir in which each of the three voices on its own is strictly pentatonic! Good old Frank was being very clever here. It turns out that there are exactly three possible ways in which you can omit two notes from any major scale to make a "normal" pentatonic scale (i.e. one having the spacings corresponding to the black keys on a piano), and Bridge uses two of those ways, one for the upper and lower voices, and one for the middle voice.

    You say the title is meaningful to you. Is that because you're reading it as "Hart's Ease"? :) I hope it's got nothing to do with heart disease.
     
    rainer, Feb 4, 2014
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  9. pianolady

    pianolady Monica Hart, Administrator Staff Member Piano Society Artist Trusted Member

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    Yes, the gently falling snowflakes fit nicely with the sounds here

    No, I don’t have heart disease. :lol: But Hart’s ease is right on! And now I am also reminded that Valentine’s Day is approaching! Better get to work on a new banner…. :)
     
    pianolady, Feb 4, 2014
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