Product Description
The Etherea Suite, Volume 1 is for intermediate to advanced players who enjoy lyrical, exciting, and showy repertoire, while expressing their imagination through their playing. Players get to musically explore the mountains, the desert, volcanoes, time travel to ancient times, and fight in battle! Volume I of the suite represents three main characters from the sci-fi/fantasy book Trials of the Innermost by Johnathan Fuller & Kristina Kelly. Each movement has a distinct feel and reflects each character's personality. This edition features performance notes written by the composer, including musical elements unique to each movement, fun facts, and personal influences JohnWillard had in mind when creating the work. A graphic of the musical cryptogram system used to make the melodies for each character is featured at the end of the notes.
The three movements imitate a sonata, with the overall order of the suite is slow, slow, fast. Some teaching elements in the first movement I. Vayriel: Protector of the Mountains, include: scalar passages (A natural minor scale), shifting hands position, rolled chords, repeated left hand patterns, ornaments, and pedaling.
II. Zinvar: Peacemaker of the Volcanic Rifts is more challenging, but has more room for musicality, expression, exploring different touches on the piano, and "ethereal" use of pedaling, like the sostenuto pedal (if you have one!) The movement opens with a mysterious, wave-like arpeggiated left hand pattern, similar to pieces of Chopin or Rachmaninoff. The B section is practice in using the sostenuto (middle) pedal while playing softly, imitating Gregorian Chant. Best of all the ending sounds harder than it actually is and you get to play as loud as possible!
III. Idrilia: Warrior of the Desert is fast paced, rhythmic, and inspired by video games. This piece is a nice supplement for students learning techniques found in toccatas, nocturnes, and pieces that require a big, full sound. The longest and most advanced movement, players can enjoy using "all the things": pedaling, accents, quick changes in dynamic contrast, and a lyrical B section. Technique requires comfort with arpeggios, chord inversions, octaves, and sensitivity to voicing. Once mastered, this movement can be both fun to play as a stand-alone recital piece or an exciting treat to play for friends and family. You'll find yourself humming the simple melody as it transforms throughout the work, and the ending is a chance to play big chords by using the full range of the keyboard.
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.