# Unlikely, very specific piano music search



## SteveM (Sep 22, 2010)

Hi all,

I'm new here (was looking for somewhere to ask the following question) but from browsing a couple of threads you guys seem pretty knowledgeable and just might be able to come up with something ...

I've been asked to contribute some music to a "lecture", then themes of which are essentially suffering, joy, and the balance of these two, plus the idea of two "broken" parts coming together to form a satisfying whole. I'm trying to come up with three pieces, to illustrate each of the suffering / joy / both ideas (whilst potentially bringing in the "brokenness" thing too).

So far I've got Rachmaninov's C# Prelude for suffering, and Debussy's Dr Gradus Ad Parnassum for joy (with the brokenness / togetherness illustrated by tune fragments that are produced across both hands - each part being "broken" on its own).

I'm stuck though with the "both" idea. What I'd really like is to discover an awesome piece where a minor theme and a major theme are stated seperately and then come together to form a satisfying whole. About the best I can do is the "I Am So Proud (minor) / My Brain It Teems (minor) / I Heard One Day (major)" trio from the Mikado - not a piano piece of course, and the resulting music (when they come together) is minor when it would be preferable if it was major.

So in a rather convoluted way (sorry!), what I'm asking is if anyone can think of a piece that plays in a clever way with major / minor themes, and ends in an "upbeat" way. Ideally by stating one theme, then the other (where one is major and one is minor), and then combines them in a "major" way. But I don't want to be too prescriptive as this is a big ask already!!


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

Beethoven does quite a lot of these musical acrobatics you describe. I recall part of his Piano Sonata No. 6 (2nd movement) that goes rapidly back and forth between ominous minor then light major almost within the same phrase in a kind of question and answer, and being Beethoven, the movement ends in a sudden emphatic defiance. I'm not sure it's exactly the mood you are seeking:






This is a pretty subtle piece for Beethoven and I'm not sure I would call it awesome except on a satisfying introspective level. I will keep looking.


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## SteveM (Sep 22, 2010)

Thanks Weston. I think that might be a bit subtle for what I'm after, although I see what you mean about the piece. Meanwhile the guy doing the lecture has suggested Schubert 4 Impromptus, D 899, number 3 (G flat major), which I guess switches mood a bit. It's a decent fall-back although I'm still interested in any other ideas anyone may have - I can't help thinking there's must be a fascinating piece out there that plays with the major / minor dichotomy a lot ...


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