Summer Bagatelle

Tomorrow is the longest day of the year on a Sunday in my country, at which time people burn a dummy witch per old tradition, and this afternoon, I just felt in the mood to finish this piano piece. I feel like it has a bit of summer in it. But I actually started on it back in April or so, then put it in the drawer, because I found something off-putting about it. I hope it sounds reasonable now.

I feel a happy emotion to this, even when the minor keys are exposed. But not just any happiness. It feels kind of like a person is skipping around. I love it. And the C major is so expressive here. I have tried to get my C major to sound expressive and all I get is what sounds like happy boredom, sort of like this piece here:

If I want the piece to both be expressive and have C as the tonic note, I usually resort to 1 thing, using the key of C minor. I find that with C minor, I can get just about any possible emotion across relatively easily like this:

• Anger - Just use more forte dynamics and diminished 7ths, faster tempo further reinforces the emotion but isn't necessary
• Sadness - Keep it slow
• Mysteriousness - Slow and in low octaves
• Nocturnal peacefulness - Slow and in high octaves
• Happiness - Fast tempo and off beat notes(I find that, if I just displace a note by say an eighth from where I would typically put it, and I put more dynamic emphasis on weak beats, I can get C minor to sound happy)

This song sounds amazing.

I love how this piece suddenly swings in the middle of it out of nowhere and then nonchalantly goes right back to straight time.  It's been a few years since you submitted this piece but I can't help but enjoy it ever since I found someone in the online user list listening to it.  Simple beautiful piano pieces are so hard to find.  I like your hints of lydian mode and how you end on the bVI bVII I which wasn't at all cliche because of your harmonic rhythm.  I'm glad I found this gem!  Thanks for sharing.

Hi, initially I thought the opening had "Satie" feel to it.  And I was anticipating that style to continue and develop; however you introduced a few more colorful streams, each one lovely though.  My personal preference would have been to go "Satie" in feel - all the way.

Mark