Small suite for piano

Children's pieces^[1]

Opus 3

History

This suite is a revision of some movements from the original opus 7.
Legley finished his suite op 15 July 1944.^[2]
Only the first movement (Habanera) can be assigned with certainty to opus 3 (see sources). The attribution of the other movements is supported by a note^[3] by Legley on the title page of Spleen in the first autograph of Small piano music.

I. Habanera^[4]
- no tempo indication^[5]
- time signature: 2/4
II. Bagpipe^[6]
- first version finished on 12 April 1936 in Brussels
- tempo: Niet te vlug [Not too fast] (allegretto)
- time signature: 5/8
III. Lied [Song]^[6]^[7]
- first version finished on 17 March 1936 in Brussels
- tempo: Traag [Slowly] (adagio)
- time signature: 3/4
IV. Burleske [Burlesque]^[6]
- first version finished on 19 August 1936 in Brussels
- tempo: Zeer vlug [Very fast] (allegro vivo)
- time signature: 6/8

autograph of Habanera: Royal Conservatory Antwerp (B-Ac), shelf number MM-MS-LEGLE-petite-1^[8]
final autograph of Small piano music: Royal Conservatory Brussels (B-Bc), shelf number BV-03-3998-onderdeel-1
first autograph of Small piano music: Royal Conservatory Brussels (B-Bc), shelf number BV-03-3998-onderdeel-2

↑ The subtitle is copied from opus 8, to which opus 3 is probably identical.
↑ De Roeck, p.243.
↑ This note is:
1. Spleen
2. Bagpipe
3. Lied
4. Burlesque
↑ This work is identical to Spleen in Small piano music.
↑ In Small piano music, the tempo is: habanera-beweging [habanera movement].
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 ^6.2 Description based on the corresponding pieces in Small piano music. Possibly, Legley revised his youth compositions when compiling opus 3 (1944).
↑ On the title page of "Lied" in the first autograph of Small piano music, one still can read "voor bea" [for bea] (someone has erased it, but it still can be deciphered). This is clearly a reference to Beatrix Souvage, whom Legley married in 1939.
↑ Title page: Petite suite pour piano | Vic. Legley. op.3. | 1) Habanera