Description
A short G minor piece in common time with a ceremonial tread, the Entrée takes its name from the music once used for an entrance on the court stage or in ballet. In the Aylesford Pieces, a published selection from the keyboard manuscripts kept by the family of the Earls of Aylesford, it comes straight after the overture.
It lasts under a minute yet holds around 400 notes, close to eight per second. The right hand takes the melody and the finer figures while the left supports the harmony in the bass; the right hand has about 1.5 times as many notes. The collection has other G minor pieces as well, the overture, the toccata and Impertinence, so pieces of different character can be compared in the same key.
It is rated beginner, but since a lot of notes are packed into a short span, slow the playback and make the right hand secure before raising the speed. Use the hand colours to check which hand does what, and mark the beats clearly to bring out the ceremonial character. Its range, from D2 up to B-flat 5, stays within 61 keys.
A collection of keyboard suites by Handel built mainly around dance movements such as allemandes and gavottes, with lively ornamented melodies and Baroque contrapuntal writing. It suits intermediate-to-advanced players who want to explore Baroque stylistic performance.
Browse all songs in Keyboard Suites →Sheet Music
Sheet music provided by Mutopia Project
About the Composer
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
George Frideric Handel was a Baroque composer born in Halle, Germany, who later became a naturalized British citizen. Celebrated for the oratorio Messiah and his Italian-style operas, he also composed many keyboard suites and sonatas. Often mentioned alongside his contemporary Bach, his music is marked by accessible melody and stately grandeur. This site includes suite movements, minuets, and pieces from the Aylesford Pieces.
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