New goal on the blog: sharing music every day as a break and boost during these unsettling times. Hope this will brighten your day and help you stay well. 🙂 If you’d like to check out earlier posts, you’ll find the first of this series here.

Today’s two pieces are miniatures by Johann Sebastian Bach: two of the pieces he called Three-Part Inventions or Sinfonias. My first post in this series featured three of his Two-Part Inventions, where the right and left hands on the piano “talk” back and forth in dialogue between the higher and lower registers of the keyboard. The Three-Part Inventions work the same way, except now there are three parts to the musical conversation: high, middle, and low registers on the keyboard. The two hands share those three “voices” between them.

Both of today’s pieces are gentle and meditative. The first, in E flat Major, is very simple musically, with a repetitive pattern of broken chords and a slowly unfolding melody. The second, in G minor, is one of my favorite Bach pieces. It’s also gentle, thoughtful but not mournful, and it provides a restful backdrop for contemplation.

As you listen, take time to quiet your mind and let your breathing echo the phrases in the music. As always, you’re welcome to share your thoughts and responses to the music in the comments.

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