Two polkas that are long long time pieces in my repertoire (they are on my CD, for example). Polka Piquée (one of many Polkas Piquée) and Polka d’Aveyron.
Lo Cruzado (#62)
The band, Le Bon Truc, got together for the first time in four months and played on the porch. Steve (clarinet) was a little more socially distant that Barb and I because his is a wind instrument, but we sounded great and had fun and actually (*weepy*) shared space together. This 3 beat bourrée is one of our favorite tunes. This was literally the first tune of the afternoon for us. It’s tune #62 in the Bal Folk Tune Book.
Derrière les Carreaux (by Frédéric Paris)
Dedicated to my son, Parker!
This is a tune by my hero, Frédéric Paris. It was tune of the month at Melodeon.net. I’ve written a lot about Frédéric, even early on in the life of this blog, including an interview. I’ve also played a lot of his music, including here, here, and here.
Three-beat bourrées (#34 and 44)
Three-beat bourrées from the Bal Folk Tune Book (#34 and 44) played on my Castagnari Mori with all but one reed stopped, and the bass and third reeds stopped on the left hand. Photos of Auvergne harvested from the web. Part of the Bal Folk Tune Book Project. The tunes are “J’avais une bonne amie” and “Derrière Chez Nous.”
J’ai un Petit Voyage à Faire (Valse)
Proven: wearing a mask will NOT impede your ability to play a French waltz! Also, if you want to play accordion, be pandemic safe, AND fight crime, I think I’m onto something. This is #112 in the Bal Folk Tune Book. One of those tunes you pick at while going through the book figuring out what to play next. Then you get to the end and it washes over you, “That was delightful!”
Sunshine’s Bourrée Set
Two bourrées in honor of the impending four month mensiversary (#notamadeupword) of my marriage to Sunshine! The two bourrées are La Bourrée des Dindes (#166) La Bourrée á Six de Briantes (#164) from the Bal Folk Tune Book.
And if the second tune sounds familiar, it’s because de Briantes is identical to one of the Youp Nanettes. Yes, the identical tune (in a different key) is in the book twice.
Scottish Nérondaise (plus another one, #11 and #8)
Dedicated to Arch Stanton!
Two scottishes from page two of the book. Just a reminder for US listeners, a scottish is NOT Scottish. And it’s not a schottische. It’s a scottish, a French couples dance, medium tempo, in four. These are two scottishes played on my A flat organetto.
Valse à Bargoin with Brigid
This is #94 in the Bal Folk Tune Book Project. A beautiful three part waltz that is very much in G, until you get to the third part and there’s an extended bit in D minor! I ask you! So fun.
Recorded on June 20, 2020, this is the first time I played with another human since the shut downs started in March. Brigid came up the day before Father’s Day and — though it wasn’t her intention — it was her gift to me. We used two phones to record, one near her facing me, and the other near me facing her. This way, both instruments can be heard well — I am very pleased with the outcome!
Two bourrées! (#51 and #52)
Dedicated to Melissa Hinnen!
(Also, I flub the ending for the sake of authenticity. Yeah. That’s it. Authenticity!)
Love on the IV Chord (Bal Folk #26, 131, 132, 140)
Something of a theme for this entry in the Bal Folk Tune Book Project. I noticed that a number of mazurkas I play have a characteristic of beginning the B section with the IV chord. It creates a lovely sense of levitation and, if the song were telling a story, I think that’s when you would know the two of them were really in love!
It happens often enough in mazurkas that I am beginning to think this is a defining trait of a subset, but it doesn’t only happen in mazurkas. As I was recording the mazurkas, I remembered the tune, “Mominette” (by Maxou, in the tune book as untitled #26), which also goes to the IV chord at the B section and is quite lovely (especially as the A section has a ominous tone. Will things work out??? Yes, yes they will. You know because of the IV chord.)
Also, with the mazurkas, the first is a sans nom tune that I began to call “Hannibal’s Mazurka” some years ago (I was teaching the ancient Romans at the time). If anyone knows a different name, let me know. I can be taught!
