Three Japanese Pictures
Class: Original Piano Solos
Published: 1930.
Almond Blossom One of Billy's broad melodies, but the harmonies are more dissonant than usual, giving an appropriately oriental flavour. There is nothing here of the fake chinoiserie of say, 'In a Chinese Temple Garden', the style is at once much bolder and more subtle. The middle section is built on a minor version of the same melody, while the ending is particularly effective.
A Temple in Kyoto is very short, really just an interlude, and makes no attempt to be anything other than atmospheric.
Cherry Dance opens with a bitonal section, i.e. left and right hands are playing in different keys. As they are also playing in the same register, this involves some crossing of hands. The main theme is made up of broken arpeggio figures. There is a beautiful dolce section in the middle which to my ears actually sounds more Russian than Japanese.
