Classical Music | Music for Duo

Recorded on 02/19/2008, uploaded on 01/12/2009

Musician's or Publisher's Notes

Five Easy Pieces                          Igor  Stravinsky

Andante; Española; Balalaїka; Napolitana; Galop

The "Five Easy Pieces", written in 1917, are short, humorous character dances for piano, four hands. The title is purposely misleading as only one of the parts, the upper-or primo part-is actually easy. The secundo is far from being easy; it is musically much more complex and technically more demanding.

The primo introduces naive melodies, based on little motives within a small range of notes. Sometimes singing, sometimes dancing, the melodies always contain a childlike charm. This is achieved not least by the fact that the primo part is played solely on the white keys.  The secundo, on the other hand, has intriguing patterns with abundance of stinging, dissonant notes, lots of modulations and many distinguished rhythmical motives. More simplicity in the secundo part, as in the Andante and the Balalaika, is achieved by the flowing and repetitive patterns of a "perpetuum mobile".

In the years 1917-1925, Stravinsky wrote an orchestral version of the pieces. Together with three additional short pieces, they create the cycles titled "Suite No. 1" and "Suite No. 2".      Sivan Silver & Gil Garburg

Courtesy of International Music Foundation.