Daniel Gawthrop’s Microludes Volumes 1–3
I want to tell you about Daniel Gawthrop’s remarkable set of Microludes that is now expanded to three volumes, but I need to say something else first. I’ve been told that I never met a digression that I didn’t like, but I suffer from that academic weakness that likes to contextualize things through genealogy. So before I tell you about them, I want to tell you about the Frankfurt School and Theodor Adorno.
Adorno developed the term Kulturindustrie to describe the type of art work that most people consume. It is milquetoast in nature. It doesn’t really excite or offend. It is designed for people to consume, and in Adorno’s mind, it is designed specifically to keep people docile and purchasing more of the same kind of product. It is a rigid way of thinking where all art objects are neatly divided into high and low art.
Whether or not you agree with Adorno completely, his description fits well with much of the 20th century’s artistic output. There really is a lot of music produced for the masses that doesn’t really say anything. The domain of “high art” is often inaccessible to a large portion of the population. It’s not just true in a broad sense, but also in the siloed areas of our musical lives like keyboard music.
There is a lot of keyboard music that is written for mass consumption that is not very redeeming. There are “high art” works that are inaccessible to most keyboard players, but this harsh dichotomy was not always the paradigm.
When I think back on my own keyboard lessons as a child, I started with easy pieces from the Notebook for Anna Magdalena. As time progressed, I played Clementi Sonatinas, easier movements from Mozart and Beethoven Sonatas. Some of the easier music from Chopin like the Preludes in e minor and b minor made some of my earliest musical memories. High-quality, well-crafted music that could be played by amateurs as well as professionals was a normal output for composers for most of our musical history. I wrote about David von Kampen’s contribution to this literature with his 12 Very Short Pieces for Piano recently. Now Daniel Gawthrop has expanded his own chapter in the genre.
Gawthrop had already made a significant contribution to this literature with his Microludes Volume 1. He has now expanded that into two more Volumes which cover Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. The sets are neatly organized into Preludes based on hymns and free Preludes. The table of contents has the pieces listed by key and approximate length. I find this remarkably convenient, and I’m not sure why more people don’t do this.
The pieces range in difficulty from sight-readable to moderate difficulty. Even when the pieces are sight-readable, they are of terrific musical quality. They are that old kind of high quality music that even amateurs can play that explodes Adorno’s dichotomy. The opening Prelude in B flat from Volume 2 is a perfect example. I think almost any parish organist could sight-read this piece, but the construction is actually very clever. A strict canon seamlessly transforms into imitative counterpoint without ever being pedantic.
There are several pieces in the set that could be wedding marches, and they are just the right length to get the bride down the aisle without having to make a cut. Volume 2 no. 10 as well as Volume 3 no. 10 would both serve this function admirably. There are also movements of profound beauty like the Trio on Valet will ich dir geben and the Prelude on Winchester New. There are also a few movements that you will have to practice a little no matter what your level of ability, but it’s all the kind of music that is rewarding to practice.
During the process of getting these ready for release to the public, Daniel asked me if I would make the initial recordings. The only way I can describe the process of rehearsing and recording them is that they delighted me. I was constantly surprised and (dare I say it) happy when I was working through them. I found a smile on my face on more than one occasion at a sonority or a clever little bit of imitative counterpoint. Do yourself a favor and explore these pieces. I feel sure they will become a part of your recurring repertoire around the holidays.
See, hear, and buy the score for Daniel Gawthrop’s Microludes by clicking the link below.
