Op. 1, Four Pieces for L.G.

This work for violin and piano was written for my father in response to a work he wrote for me as a teenager (see Xmas Minatures). In that short work, my father used my initials (F.G.) as a musical motive.  It is a brilliant and stunning work which I was unable to fully appreciate until after his death. I wrote Four Pieces for L. G.  using both of our initials F. G. and L. H. G., giving me the musical notes F-G-A-B (I was sloppy about H* and allowed myself both B and B flat.) In the first movement, only the piano is limited to those pitches, in the second,  both instruments are limited to those pitches, in the third just the violin, and in the fourth, I did not limit my choices at all.

It depends on the day, as to whether or not I think this work is any good. Some days I think it is worthy, and other days, pretty mediocre. I will let you decide. 

I will say this — I am most proud of the third movement, which I do think captures a feeling for me, and it moves me when I listen to it and think of my dad. I also find the ending of the work effective. It is rather dark, which I think reflects some of the tragedy of my father’s life and some of my grief in missing him.  For me, I find something very special in the last three bars in which you fill find L.G, followed by F.G, and then the final chord. The music if free for download. Let me know if you like it and perform it.

*For those who don’t know, H is the letter representing B-flat in the German language.