Pianocolours
2 New Age Pieces.

Reviewer: Charles Oldenkamp.

Midwinter Morning Melody and Song of Summer are part of a set of New Age pieces for piano dating from the mid-1980s.

1.
Reviewer: Charles Oldenkamp.

Midwinter Morning Melody evokes the openness of winter and crispness of freshly fallen snow with first inversion chords, open voicings, rich harmonies, and the final cadence (a written-out improvisation) which ends the piece. The repeated note in the middle voice bears a passing echo of Winter from Vivaldišs Four Seasons.

2.
Reviewer: Charles Oldenkamp.

Song of Summer, which warms the listener with a breezy cut time, begins in E flat but actually ends in the subdominant key of A flat. It was originally written for strings and wind and was later arranged for piano by the composer. Song of Summer begins in a New Age style, but hints of Classicism creep in as it progresses.

By using perfect fifths as a tool for harmonic and melodic coloration FeBland reinforces the open sound of the previous piece and lends the work a pastoral mood.


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