Martha Mier

Autumn Sketches

Autumn Sketches captures the beauty of fall and highlights activities that celebrate it. The first movement, 'Farewell to Summer,' contains sections in both 4/4 and 3/4 meter. Throughout, a lyrical melody flows over varied accompaniment styles, including block chords, a waltz bass, and arpeggiated lines. 'The Splendor of Color' expands on the arpeggiated accompaniment line from the first movement and challenges the student to project vivid autumn colors through the melodic line. The syncopated melody of 'Harvest Festival Rag' captures the essence of ragtime without the large left-hand jumps often associated with this genre. The suite closes with a depiction of 'Falling Leaves.' This final movement uses descending scale lines to portray the end of the season.