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This is a little Classical-style piano sonata I've just finished.

It's been awhile since I've posted anything to the forum, let alone really been active. Life is like that sometime. This work was born out of my own quarantine after being tested positive for Covid-19. While not exactly the main influence over the work -I'm sure it adds a little to it. The 3rd movement is close to how I envision it. I'm working on a revision to make it sound more coherent and complete. I'm not too excited about the ending -I think the material can be expanded some more. Just got to find the right way to do it. I present you my 4th Piano Sonata. Hope you enjoy!

Hi. So this is a cello sonata. I wrote this between 2017 and 2018 and it was premiered in 2019. The recording is not the super bestest ever, but it does the job. This is the 4th long-form "sonata" type thing I wrote and it was mostly based around the idea of augmented chords within a kind of neo-romantic style.

A waltz I composed several years ago, which was originally a piano piece until I reworked it for string orchestra earlier this year. I'm trying to evoke a specific mood with this one – something beautiful but dangerous, elegant and alluring yet simultaneously threatening. As always, any feedback is welcome!

Thanks very much for your comments! I consider the first movement to be in sonata form but with further 'development' occurring in the coda. And since the opening theme was also used at the beginning of the development, and would be appearing in the coda, I omitted it from the beginning of the recapitulation lest it wear out its welcome. The second movement is really 'slow-movement' sonata form (without a development), but with the accompaniment varied in the recapitulation. I do see what you mean about the ornamentation - perhaps when the second subject reappears it should do something different from those 64th-note turns. I also take your point about the vamping chords in the third movement throwing off the rhythm of the phrasing. Anyway, thanks again for your thoughts - they are very helpful!

The whole point of the galant style "revolution" was a very heavy focus on cadences. The Vienna classic stuff that comes after is even more cadence-focused. I'd say that's kind of the main stylistic point, that it's cadence-oriented. So, if you're using secondary dominant chords, they need to be in the context of a cadence for it to be in that style. So, sure, you can do T (DD) D T or more typically T (DD7/b5) D T, but that stuff needs to go in the context of a cadence and cadences are what control structure. That's why it seems "older" to do the thing you're doing, which is vary the harmonies outside of the main cadences. Notably the biggest exception to this is modulations, which can happen outside of cadences through development sections (sequencing and division of motifs.) Even so, you'd be hard pressed to find modulations that don't include a proper cadence.

Jason, you and I have talked a bunch offline. Your music is just brilliant. You already know what I want you to do!

It think the double stops idea is really good, particularly in the last two bass notes (measure 16 and 17) it would probably prepare the ear better for the half cadence and the fermata. I will play around to see if there are some playable double stops to add in that part! I also agree with the second comment. The first part sounds quite Sarabande to me but, somehow, the second part sounds more like a prelude (I agree the atmosphere also reminds me of a Passacaille but I guess the lack of a repetitive constant bass would not allow me to give it that title). I think the lack of clear cadences during the second part makes the phrases "eerie" and not suitable for a Sarabande so I was thinking on adding some perfect cadences and clearer division of phrases but maybe it's better if I just use half of the piece for a whole prelude and the other half for a real Sarabande. I will have to think about it! Thanks for your comment and I am glad you liked it!

Nice job! I felt like the exposition is a bit better musically conceived than the recapitulation however and especially in measure 30 I feel like something is off and you approach the ending cadence quite differently in m. 32 and it ends up being a 9 measure phrase. I understand that you want to end on the tonic this time but maybe you could find a way to use sequences in a similar way to the exposition as that seemed to work pretty well there. About that second recording you posted - it is quite beautiful! I don't hear any bothersome clicking of the keys in your recording - just some interference, but nonetheless you have quite a beautiful piano tone and it projects nicely! I do notice that the second piece uses quite a bit more space in it's conception although I enjoyed both.

You have a great piece here. I can't wait to hear a full suite! 1) Measures 14-16 I would suggest adding double-stops to your pedal points. Might give the music a more sonic resonance. 2) A sarabande is a dance. I made this huge mistake in my cello suite by using the wrong title. I dare say you piece has more "passacaille" moments than sarabande. Still, that does not subtract from what is a well-written piece!