Description
“Drei Stücke” (Three Pieces) for Viola and Piano
Editor: Susan Eileen Pickett
These three pieces were composed for the violist of the Jean Becker Family Quartet. The members of the quartet had met Le Beau in 1880 and were so taken by her music that they asked her to compose a work for each member of the group. In “Nachtstück” Le Beau capitalizes on the dark timbre of the viola. In Träumerei she utilizes a simple, folk-like melody. The middle section is faster, and dance-like. “Polonaise”, the final piece, has the rhythm as well as the tempo so characteristic of this dance. However, the key is C minor, lending a somewhat darker and stormier mood. Le Beau concludes the “Polonaise” with a virtuosic passage for the viola that incorporates arpeggiated chords as well as a short cadenza.
