Ralf Bauer – Morkens
Bergmann Edition: 5 pages
German – born Ralf Bauer – Morkens is a new name to me personally, although judging by his back catalogue of works, he shouldn’t be!
This latest piece is relatively short, only 24 bars , and judging by the fact that he is well versed in Renaissance and Baroque Lute, I can only say that this piece sounds very much like a slightly more up – to date Lute work. It is in several voices throughout, just like many Renaissance lute pieces, and everything is gentle and with no modern harmonies at all.
After a very chordal beginning with four voices mostly in evidence, the music gradually gets smaller in its note values and now tends to be in 3 voices. Although the chords he uses are never modern in their harmonies, his chord progressions are, as he moves from Am, to Bm, to C#m in the space of three bars in one part .
There is a momentary Poco Mosso in the middle section of 5 bars, before the opening idea returns, somewhat varied, before a rallentando brings the piece to an end on an E Major 7th chord.
I must say that this piece is pleasant, but will not be to everyone’s taste, due to its style. Having said that it is only moderate in its difficulty and could be entertaining should you like something a little like Renaissance lute music, but in a slightly more modern format.
Chris Dumigan