Hi everyone

Hi all!

I thought it would be polite of me to post a short introduction from myself. So basically my name is James, I have been composing for the passed 4-5 years. I'm currently taking a year out to study guitar and compose prior to applying to university to study music further.

As a composer I could be deemed as old fashioned, or out of touch with the ideals of music in the 21st century... I personally feel modern music has gone too far, to the extent I believe it is now unmusical, and It seems to me that any ill thought through work can be considered good just as long as one can justify why it is good.

Thanks

Hi, Welcome



I like that symphony too

Welcome to YC, James.

Hiya, don't you mind Ian. As you can see from his signature, he is mentally ill... unstable... At any rate: delirious

(he's asian)

DSCH, on 01 September 2010 - 05:27 PM, said:

hm... this is quite a bold statement. I too have my musical preferences, but I think not being open minded is a strange attitude; welcome nonetheless
Maybe you could ellaborate your point of view. I think dear old Shosty is considered too modern for the baroque diehards here. Is that modern music, but then how to explain your screen name?

Thanks for the welcome!

The symphony is brilliant but DSCH is everywhere *cough* 8th string quartet *cough*

Oh I shall be wary of Ian then.. although he does write some nice music! As do you of course, thanks royreintjes

jrcramer, on 02 September 2010 - 04:14 AM, said:

Haha I was hoping to stir up some differences of opinions
I shall explain.. perhaps modern music is not the right term, as it's too broad and encompasses too many styles. Hmm I supose I'm getting things such as the Second Viennese School, New Complexity, to some degree Minimalism, Post Modernism... and the use of techniques such as controlled chance and so on..
Personally I dislike these styles of music generally.. However I believe some of the techniques invented by them I can see a use for, i.e. the serialist technique of the second vienese school. An entire piece composed entirely upon a tone row is sickening to me (sorry), however, I have used tone rows as melodic material, and harmonised it which I find works to great effect! Recently I have also started looking at using altered temperaments and micro-tones for a symphonic tone poem I'm writing.. although this I'm finding isn't working too well haha
So really, I'm not closed minded but I believe modern techniques should be used in a more musical sense! In regards to my screen name: I think Mr Shostakovich would agree

I could not see the purtpose of the second viennese school until I discovered Berg violin concerto. For the people who need some sense of harmony (like me) this is a work of sheer beauty. Are take Barber who applied some 12tone technieuqes as well. You need to incorporate it, use it to your own advantage

About the DSCH, yeah it is in the 8th strq, but also in the 10th sym, even in prokofievs cello concertante piece, and schnittkes 3rd string quartet, so take a smint and stop coughing
Nice to have you here. I am looking forward to listen to your music (PS I you like shosty, you should check out johnbucket's music)
Feel free to listen around and please comment, that is what makes this community thriving.

I shall listen to the berg right away, maybe It'll change my oppinion!

Haha I was going to mention the Schnittke but I thought it was abit of an obscure reference (I went with the blatently obvious). It's also in the first Shostakovich violin concerto

Thanks, I've already been having a cheeky listen to your octatonic fugue! I really like it, its interesting how you can do an entire fugue on a mode of limited transposition... and the tonal center of the octatonic is a swine to control, I take my hat off to you!

haha, thanks. I wanted to exploit the minor side of the scale so I choose 4 sort of tonal centers (one for each entry), each a minor third separated. Did you listen to the piano version or to the fourth movement of the saxophone sonata, the latter is the latest version, also a little expanded.
But hey, this is your introduction thread, not my octatonic fugue thread

Ahhh I see, 4 entries a minor 3rd apart so a deminished 7th really? Which is contained within the scale itself, nice!
I listened to the piano version first, but I prefer the sax sonata - the entries and lines are more defined
I like the way it just ends quite abruptly, but then again you cant exactly go I II Vc I in the octatonic haha

Yes you're right I'm getting off topic! Whoops