Marcus Pagel

I've begin to prepare for a piano concerto contest and have some questions about cadenzas. I know lots of composers write out the cadenza, or do so later. Are there any concertos were performers improvise a cadenza? If so, does any one have any videos to recommend? If a composer writes a cadenza for their concerto, is the performer expected to use that one? What if the composer writes it after publishing the concerto. Are there many different published cadenzas for most concertos, or just one? Thanks.

Thanks. I recieved three options at my lesson. They were: Shostakovich Concerto No. 2 Mendelssohn Concerto in G minor (the one that you mentioned, Alex) Beethoven Concerto No. 2 My initial thoughts were that they all look very difficult (and why shouldn't a concerto be). If you had to pick one movement out of the nine that are represented above, which would it be? And if anyone has more recommandations, I would be glad to pay heed to them.

While I wouldn't go so far as to say that the previously mentioned composers aren't the masters of piano music, I do occaisionally enjoy more obscure composers who have some pieces that can rival most. For example Ginastera.

There is a piano concerto contest in my town, and I am planning to enter it. I'm of an intermediate level on the piano (though intermediate doesn't really say much). To get more of an idea as to my level, these were the peices that I recently played in a solo piano recital: Sonata in E minor, Hob. XVI: 34, by Haydn To Spring (A Lyric piece) by Grieg Allegro Barbaro, by Bartók Voiles, by Debussy Suite de Danzas Criollas, by Alberto Ginastera (a very great piece if you haven't heard of it) I have no doubt that my teacher will be able to present several options (and would know my current level much better) but still, I'm interested in what you have to say.

The score link doesn't work for me. It sounds nice though.

I really like the sound the you have acheived here and in your other peices. It reminded me of piece by Jaakko Mantyjarvi called Die Stimme des Kindes. Have you heard of this guy? The forementioned peice is the only one by him that I've heard, but I liked it. Your peice looks very difficult to sing, so it probably wouldn't be for others than an advanced choir. I really like your use of fifths two. It gives it a nice sound/feeling (sorta hard to describe)

Thanks for the reply. I will definently play around with the melody and develop it, and flesh it out. Does anyone else have any words of advice?

Now what does that mean?

Does no one else at all have some advice to offer?

It doesn't work for me either. Just goes back to the same page.

I composed this short thing in a very short time with out really thinking, after I came back home from a really good college choir concert. That was when I became a lot more interested with composing, and this short piece of music marks it. I Changed I few things in revision of it, but it has stayed mostly the same. However, I don't know what to do with it. Does it sound to you like the beginning of a piece? One appearant problem is that the tenors barely move at all, but someone needs to sing that note for it to retain it's sound. Also there are no words. Does it seem to you that a "one word lyric" would be best suited to this (as in Alleluia or Kyrie for example)? Or should the rhythm change to be able to take words on better? With these many questions, I am grateful for any advice you have to offer. Thanks! Song.pdf Song.mid

Thanks! And I agree with you about the dynamic ranges, I just never ended up actually putting them on the score. And since I'm not very educated in lots of musical theory, could you specify where the suspensions would be? It's probably a very simple question, but I don't have any idea.

Tonal Harmony: it's a text book but i found it at a used bookstore for $2 (good deal compared to some other places where it's sold). I think it's a pretty good book, it has exercises and corresponding answers to them. There's a workbook and CD that comes with it if you actually order it, but I don't have them. Even so, just the book has many exercises that are good. What do you mean by examples? Of what they're talking about? or what...

Thank you very much!

That may be true for some people, but could you find a single person who would say that a major triad sounded bad? And would a successful contemporay composer who doesnt use major triads much dislike them? Because someone can enjoy the sound of something, while still not using it very much in their own work. Just a thought...

Verdi's Requiem. Namely "Dies irae" and "Tuba mirum"

I've been wondering: Will our current perception of what tones sound good together ever change. Will we ever thing that a major triad or something simple like that does not sound "good?" Will our current tonal theory "rules" ever change (because all the guidelines are there because we think they sound good, right?). And I'm not talking about a change in the next 100 years or something. This would take much longer. What are your ideas on this?

This is my first string quartet attempt. It is very alike to a choral peice that I posted about a month ago. Check it out here. I revised a few things and decided that since I had no words, I might as well investigate other options. The major problem I think is the lack of movement in the two lower parts and the repetiveness. I found no good way to solve this while maintaining the feel that I wanted. If anyone has suggestions on that, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks for you feedback! String Quartet.mp3 String Quartet.pdf

Thanks for posting the mp3. I really like the sound of this peice. The very beginning (reminds me of Mozarts Requiem (the lacrimosa part) Video of this. I like the way that you have "patterns" of chord progressions that work there way through. This peice sounds very nice, I think. However, if you could post a score with it, that would greatly help with analyzing it and to see how the words (I presume there's words if it's a kyrie) are set to music, etc. But I really like this peice. I'm looking forward to whatever you post next.

Yeah, I don't know what's with this new thing. Hopefully it gets sorted out.

And i just talked to the Jazz director of a nearby college where I take lessons and he reccomended that book when I asked him if there was any thing i could do to get better. He's the same guy who directed Jazz the band i was in at the music camp. Looks like it's a good book!

same here (about the incompatibility). I'd love to listen to it though.