It is easy to recognise greatness in major masterpieces. But sometimes I think that the real place to look for it is in minor works that slip from the composer's workbenches. Sometimes these are pieces written to earn money, sometimes as a piece for a special occasion and sometimes just to give a composer a bit of breathing space between major projects.
In many ways it is easier to achieve greatness on a vast canvas - but it takes a special form of genius to achieve it in a brief piece lasting only a couple of minutes. One of the real masters of this was, in my view, Stravinsky. If you look through his list of compositions there are all sorts of minor "odds and ends" scattered through the catalogue. Almost without exception these miniatures encapsulate the genius of Stravinsky in a few deft strokes. You only need to hear the opening notes of a piece like the Circus Polka or the Scherzo alla Russe to be instantly transported into Stravinsky's world. I've played a good few of these pieces over the years and always enjoy doing so. One I haven't played but would love to is the Greetings Prelude
You know from the very first notes that it couldn't be by anybody except Stravinsky - indeed it sounds so much like "real" Stravinsky that you begin to suspect that the tune we all know ...and love ... is a simplified version of the Greetings Prelude!
Was there ever another composer who left quite so many tiny fragments of musical genius?
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