Suite in A Minor

This is an easy Baroque keyboard suite for piano in five movements, composed in 2005.

I. Allemande

II. Menuetto

III. Bourree

IV. Gavotte

V. Gigue

I was still struggling with the Baroque style when this was composed, and I think much of it still sounds cliched or rushed.

Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy it!

Hane Htut Maung

HHMaung - Suite in A Minor - I. Allemande.MID

HHMaung - Suite in A Minor - II. Menuetto.MID

HHMaung - Suite in A Minor - III. Bourree.MID

HHMaung - Suite in A Minor - IV. Gavotte.MID

HHMaung - Suite in A Minor - V. Gigue.MID

Well you definitely succeeded in making it sound Baroque. Nice use of polyphony (probably one of the best I've heard) and sequences. I can't say much for the actual form of the dances but to me they all sound wonderful. I don't think it sounds rushed but rather very well thought out. How long did they all take you to compose?

I enjoyed it. A nice little suite. I didn't think it was rushed. It was simple and nice. :)

I’m not well-educated in music, but I have been listening to, and learning to play, baroque period music for the past couple years. As far as I can see you’ve nailed the spirit and style of the period. I listened to your entire suite and I think each piece is quite original and unique. While you have clearly used the style of the baroque period I think your pieces stand out as being unique, and not merely rearrangements of the baroque period works. These are clearly your own pieces.

Excellent work!

I hope you are going to publish these pieces, they belong in with the rest of the works from the baroque period. Had you lived back then I think your works would sit right along side those of Bach, Mozart and others of that period.

I'd appreciate if you could post scores of these, I enjoyed them on first listen and would like to take a closer look. One thing you may or may not know: In a baroque suite there are usually 4 movements that are always present: Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gigue. To these is sometimes added a prelude, or one of the other dances (minuette, bourree, air, gavotte) between the sarabande and the gigue. However, the original four are very rarely ommitted.

Sorry, it may sound like I'm being a little picky here, but this is just how it was done in the baroque era ;) (BTW Abracadabra, last time I checked Mozart wasn't a baroque composer, and I don't believe he ever wrote a suite :))

Wow, this Allemande is very unique, your chromatic sequences are certainly colorful. It isn't at all cliche, although it fits in very nicely as a late Baroque piece, such as those by Bach, Handel, Boehm. It reminds me of Bach because of some heavy counterpoint and compound lines, although you don't let it cloud your direction. The style seems very firmly German. Very well done! I myself am currently working on a Baroque suite inspired by the style of Buxtehude's harpsichord suites; I would love to see more of your work to learn from.

(BTW Abracadabra, last time I checked Mozart wasn't a baroque composer, and I don't believe he ever wrote a suite :P)

I surrender Mark. You got me on a technicality.

However, I would argue that while Mozart is officially classified in a separate period he was heavily influenced by the work of Bach, and while he may not have written baroque formatted suites, he did incorporate a lot of the same multi-voice techniques in his works.

I actually included Mozart’s name because I felt that Hane's pieces had a "Mozart sound", if you will, (a little more "flowery" than Bach). At least that's my personal impression. My only point is that I feel that Hane’s pieces here are of the same caliber (in my layman's view).

I might also point out that I did qualify my comments as being those of a person who is not well-educated in music. :whistling:

I apologize for any confusion my previous post may have caused the musical community. You may now return to your regularly scheduled stringent formalisms. :P

Thank you all for the comments! They were very encouraging.

I composed the suite between April and July of 2005. Each movement took less than three days to complete, but they were composed at various times throughout that four-month period. I turned primarily to the keyboard suites of Bach and Handel for inspiration, with the Menuetto, Bourree, and Gavotte being influenced more by the former, and the Allemande and Gigue more by the latter.

I was aware that the Baroque suite usually takes the template of Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, and Gigue. However, I did choose to deviate from this rule. I was experimenting with different combinations of dance movements, and I found that the one I used, Allemande, Menuetto, Bourree, Gavotte, and Gigue, achieved a pleasant balance. Hence, I will probably use this combination as the default template for my future suites.

Attached is the score in PDF format for those who requested it.

Best wishes,

Hane Htut Maung

HHMaung - Suite in A Minor.pdf