Publication Year: 1997

First Publisher: Editions Combre

Instrumentation: Piano Solo

Total Performance Time: 2 minutes 30 seconds

Description

It is a four-page miniature in Allegro energico, C major, 3/4 time, and free form. Composed in Bordeaux in July 1995, it was published in 1997 as part of Editions Combre's "Arc en ciel" (Rainbow) series (with a preface by composer Marcel Bitsch), supervised by pianist Jean-Marie Cottet. The piece appears to thoroughly explore all possible successions and accumulations of intervals of a fourth throughout. It contains many challenging tasks for advanced learners, such as cascading irregular chordal playing and leaps, accurate deciphering of intricate accidentals, and the handling of polyphony. It could also be used as an introduction to Debussy's Etude for Fourths. Its novel and powerful sound makes it one of Damase's most outstanding piano pieces for learners, and it could also serve as a recital repertoire piece. It would also be good to perform it in combination with Idylle, composed and published around the same time.