About this work: (This 2009 version has been superseded by the 2011 version. Please go to the improved 2011 version, which is accompanied by additional information and a recording.)
“Rondo Refrain” is the tenth in a set that I selected as my best ten completed short piano pieces.
It is intended for the intermediate sections between the repeated sections of the rondo to be improvised. Or, it may be played as a non-rondo piece (no intermediate sections).
The idea here is that, in the series ABACA (or more) that comprises the rondo, the pianist performs the composed “A” parts (the refrain) and improvises the B,C,D ... intermediate parts. Composed for this purpose, with phrases apt to improvise upon, the refrain engenders anticipation of something significant to come.
Your challenge is, every time you reach the end of A, to instantly improvise an appropriate intermediate section. Included is an optional bridge passage to transition from A to X, and this may also be placed at the end of your improvised part for a smooth and natural return to A. If you memorize A, you can mentally prepare the next improvisation while playing A. In your improvised parts you could use elements from the refrain or something different or contrasting but compatible.
Rondo Refrain is in two similar but not identical parts (A1 and A2; each is 1 page) designed so that it can be played as a stand-alone piece without improvised parts (it would be unsatisfyingly short for this purpose if there were only one part). This also provides a choice of A sections for the improviser.
The indicated duration of 1 minute, 52 seconds is that of the computer playback (please see below), played as a non-rondo piece.
The titles of all the pieces in the set are:
1. Mazurka March
2. Ballad
3. First Love, in May
4. Hispanic Rhapsody(Excerpt)
5. Hymn of Consolation
6. Nocturne
7. Spanish Sonatina
8. Variations on a Game
9. Venetian Cadence
10. Rondo Refrain
If they are all played on one occasion, I recommend that they be played in the given order.
To help the pianist interpret the pieces, performance recommendations and options are placed in boxes on each of the scores.
Finale file copies of these pieces, which can be printed out and played back after downloading, are available at www.finalemusic.com . (This requires one of the Finale family of notation programs, one of which, Finale Reader, is a free and easy download at this website.) In the “Showcase Your Music” menu, click on “Search”, enter “Raymond Michael Reddy” in the Composer box.
More work could be done to improve the playback. Different computer systems will produce different quality sounds. The pieces sound far better when played on a real piano by a proficient pianist.