Monday 9 July 2018
Tune of the Day: Allegretto by Paul Merkus
for flute and piano
Today another contribution from our guest composer from the Netherlands. This time an earlier piece for flute and piano, the Op. 7, written back in the fall of 1985.
The piece is named “Allegretto”, but this is somewhat misleading as the lightweight allegretto opening theme is quickly succeeded by a slower two-part canon where flute and piano are chasing each other. The heart of this piece is a long melancholic and drawn-out melody in the flute that reaches height after height. After a reprise of the frivolous introduction, the piece ends with a soothing epilogue that somewhat resembles the melody of the canon and brings rest through a descending yet hopeful closure.