Ground

This is an exercise in variation over a ground bass. The first variation is contrary motion in 3rds followed by a mixture of similar and contrary motion in fourths that has a bell-like sound. Eighth notes dominate the next four variations, first rising step-wise in broken chords, then falling arpeggios in steps and skips. Alberti makes an appearance next and remains static, then takes off with an interior dominant pedal. Having reached the heights again, the rhythm accelerates to triplets that weave in and out in a tight pattern that gradually falls in the next variation to off beat chords. The penultimate variation introduces seventh chords to set up the final whole-note variation in block chords. And that is my evening’s relaxation.

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