Tune of the Day: Andante by Paul Merkus
Today's piece, written in 1985, was kindly contributed to our collection by its composer, Paul Merkus from the Netherlands.
This Andante for flute and piano is one of my earliest pieces (as can be derived from the low opus number), and represents the first step in a discovery journey into the world of composition. It was written in the key of D minor, partly because D is a relatively easy note to play in tune (as a beginner on the flute).
After the exposition of the theme by the flute in the first eight bars, it is repeated by the piano. In the second part of this small piece, a somewhat more moving theme is offered, which is immediately transferred to the left hand of the piano. Finally, the last phrase contains a continuation of the opening theme, concluded with a Picardy cadence.