Whew! At long last I have finally finished recording the second set of Miniatures. Actually, I made the recording several weeks ago, but I finally got around to editing it with noise filters and eq and the like. I’m in the midst of the last week of the semester and am gearing up for finals, which amazingly is giving me a little time to get this done.
Way back when I started this second volume of Miniatures, I mentioned how these works reflect my improvisational style and humor. Now that I am through the next eight, I can confidently say that this next set fits very well. Some have funny names, some are exploratory with repeat signs, some are simple and accessible. Miniature XV, another carillon, is a lively postlude or concert piece. Since that is how I ended the last set of Miniatures, I did not want to end the second volume the same way.
I broke my own rules! This is two pages! It has a line for the pedals! It’s somewhat challenging! There are no repeat signs! (That last one is meant as a joke!) Let me explain: my wonderful mentor in composition, Denis Bédard, has a particular style that has had a great influence on me. In trying to come up with something that would fit well with these Miniatures and I remembered something about his works that he often does: label one part non-legato while the melody is labeled legato. It is not unusual in organ music, but it is his particular way of labeling it that I thought about.
And that was it! That little thought led to this final Miniature XVI. It took a few edits and revisions like Miniature XV did, but I am quite happy with the end result. There are no registration changes in the way I performed the work, though I think there certainly could be, especially at the reprise. But I wanted to demonstrate how these Miniatures can be adapted and interpreted. I am not a composer, at least with these works, where I feel that my voice needs to be heard as much as the performer’s interpretation. Download the work here!