If you have been following this blog, you will know that I have been busy composing music. When the muse is upon me, I bow to the muse.
Mel Brooks, in his movie, “History of the World Part 1”, had Dom Deluise do a portrayal of a Roman Emperor. Deluise stood up in front of his court and announced in a loud voice, “The muse is upon me!” The room fell silent and they awaited the muse to work through Deluise. Deluise then belched. The muse can be like that. You think you have a good idea and then you look back at it and it is anything but inspired.
However, in the past four weeks, I have composed 8 piano songs. I have ideas for three more songs.
This song, “A Frolic For Floyd, Henri, and Belle” is, I think, one of those inspired moments. Though Floyd and and Henri are both long dead, I think the neighborhood still reverberates with their thunderous barks. Great Pyrenees are massive dogs and their bark is as massive. Belle, a Boxerdore (part Boxer, part Labrador), while not as massive as the Pyrs, is equally as active as the Pyrs were. The one thing these dogs all share in common is their love to frolic. The Pyrs loved winter, and they enjoyed to frolic, leap and bound through the deep snow. Belle equally loves to frolic, but prefers the warmer weather. Inside the house, she darts here and there with great speed, running from window to window, barking at children ony their bicycles, people walking other dogs, and anyone making any kind of a noise outside.
I decided to compose this song for Floyd, Henri, and Belle. Like all dogs, they had their moments of frenzied activity, especially heard in the first section, barking and running around the house. They also had their moments of laying still and taking a nap, represented by the slow section in 3/4 meter. Of course, we all know what happens when we don’t let sleeping dogs lay, they wake up and make up for the time they napped heard the recapitulation of the first frenetic melody. However, as night falls, and the day gradually fades away, it is time for another long sleep, and so the song ends, with the second melody as the dogs gradually sleep for the night.
I hope you enjoy it.
