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Here is the third movement of Georg Philipp Telemann's third Canonic Sonata, a highly articulated 12/8-time Allegro assai in D major. Remember that this duet is written as a canon, so both players actually play the same part, just one measure apart.
Aida is set in ancient Egypt. Its plot centers around Rhadames, a captain in the Egyptian guard, and two women, Aida and Amneris. Amneris is the daughter of the Pharaoh, the leader of Egypt; Aida is a slave. Unknown to others is the fact that she is also the daughter of the King of Ethiopia. During the first act, we discover that while Rhadames and Aida are in love, Amneris also loves the captain. Meanwhile, the countries of Egypt and Ethiopia go to war, and Rhadames is chosen to lead the Egyptian army. He defeats the enemy and returns as a conquering hero. However, Aida secretly mourns for her native country and her father, who has been taken prisoner.
In the second act of the opera, Egypt’s victory is celebrated by a grand parade, for which the “Grand March” (or “Triumphal March”) is performed. Musicians playing long trumpets lead the Egyptian troops into the city, while the booty and slaves they have captured in the war with Ethiopia are displayed.
The first appearance of this jig is in R.M. Levey's Dance Music of Ireland, published in London in 1858. This collection listed the tune under the title “The Beer Drinker”, so perhaps the “go easy” admonition of the title (first found in O'Neill's 1903 collection Music of Ireland) refers to moderation in drinking.
Here is another étude by Joachim Andersen. This 9/8-time Andantino in G major is study No. 3 from Twenty-Four Etudes for Flute, Op. 33.
This flute duet is taken from the second volume of Ernesto Köhler's Forty Progressive Duets, Op. 55. The two flutes are not treated equally: the first flute plays the melody and the second flute the accompaniment. What is peculiar about this duet, however, is that it regularly alternates between 4/4 time and 3/4 time, so that it could almost be classified as a 7/4-time piece.
Tchaikovsky composed “Chanson triste” (French for “Sad Song”) in 1878, a turbulent year, marked by his struggle to distance himself from his estranged wife Antonina. In the midst of his emotional turmoil, the composer managed to find some peace at Kamenka, near Kiev in Ukraine, where he had use of a cottage. There, while working on his Piano Sonata in G major and the Album for Children, Tchaikovsky composed the Twelve Pieces from which the “Chanson triste” is taken.
Many of these Romantic miniatures for amateur pianists seem to display a certain sadness, and it's easy to believe that Tchaikovsky may have expressed his own feelings in these works. “Chanson Triste” is a perfect example of this mood. Despite its simplicity, the piece nevertheless captivates the listener with its disarming sincerity and touching intensity.
This jig is taken from Francis O'Neill's celebrated collection Music of Ireland, published in Chicago in 1903. The source for this tune was Police Sergeant James O'Neill (no relation), a fiddler originally from County Down, Northern Ireland.