Mother Earth Suite

Mother Earth Suite (12/27/15) – 9’40”.  The idea for this suite was to create a short set of etudes of moderate difficulty that would also have a melodic appeal.  Programmatically, the four movements are all related to the natural world.    “Wistful Winds” features a melody that wanders chromatically over an eighth-note accompaniment that often moves in perfect fourths.  The melody, despite its chromatic movement, is rather mixolydian.  “Searing Sands” pits sustained sounds against staccato sounds as a challenge to the performer.  The combination of sustained and short sounds suggests something drying out in a desert landscape.  “Weathering Waves” repeats eighth-note, metric groupings of nine beats, five beats, seven beats and five beats throughout.  The pattern itself and its repetition suggests the irregular nature of waves hitting the shore.  “Earthy Mixed Lydian Blues” makes prominent use of the raised fourth scale degree, something that occurs in lydian scales, and the lowered seventh scale degree, something that occurs in mixolydian scales.  Thus, the title makes refers to the combination of these modes.  A four-measure ostinato is used as accompaniment in the piece, moving from the bass to the soprano parts.  The bluesy feeling of the movement makes it feel “earthy,” like rich soil made ready for planting.

Moderate Difficulty

When you buy music on this site, you are purchasing a PDF from which to make your own copies.  While I would love to have my works widely distributed, I trust that you will make copies only for yourself and the group you represent.  Thanks.

To listen to the suite, click here.