Astir

Irénée Bergé

RomanticObscureromanceF majorAllegretto4/4~3 min
H3
Henle (estimated)
RCM 4ABRSM 4

About this piece

Astir is a charming late-Romantic salon piece by French-American composer Irénée Bergé. It is characterized by its lighthearted melodic contour and elegant phrasing typical of early 20th-century drawing-room music.

Teacher notes

Focus on maintaining a light, graceful articulation throughout the melodic lines.

Technical focus

cantabilearticulationfinger-independencevoicing

Mood

elegantlyrical

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Free sheet music on IMSLP

Pieces similar to Astir

Comparable difficulty and character — good candidates for what to learn next.

Browse all Henle level 3 pieces (Late beginner) →

Frequently asked questions

How hard is Astir by Irénée Bergé?

Astir is rated Henle level 3 of 9 — late beginner repertoire, roughly ABRSM grades 4–5. In the RCM system it corresponds to about level 4.

What level do I need to play Astir?

You should be comfortable at Henle level 3 — meaning you can already play level 2–3 pieces cleanly. Learning it one level early is possible as a stretch piece, but more than that usually leads to months of frustration.

How long is Astir?

A typical performance of Astir lasts about 3 minutes.

Where can I get free sheet music for Astir?

Astir is available as free public-domain sheet music on IMSLP — the score is linked directly from this page.

What pieces are similar to Astir?

Pieces at a comparable difficulty and character include Belle of the Ball by Leroy Anderson, Black Beauty by Duke Ellington, American Beauty by Joseph Francis Lamb — see the full similar-pieces list on this page.