Daybreak

I looked through all the threads I've ever started - which has not been many, barely over a page's worth - and noticed I've NEVER posted this piece!! This is a gross oversight on my part. The piece I'm posting here is what I consider my greatest work. It is also the only piece of mine for which I've ever had a live recording made... what you'll hear is actually me playing this piece in recital. (There are a few minor mistakes.)

It is the second piece I ever wrote, right after the Starlight Waltz and the first part of the same suite. Solo piano, lots of mixed-mode, very freeform but very programmatic, as the name implies. It took me two days to write, from first jot on paper to present-day form. I have not improved on it since then, and I don't think I ever could, but by all means offer criticism if you feel it's warranted.

It's the most inspired thing I've ever written, from a bygone time when I didn't care how things sounded, I just wrote what I liked. If only I could harness that candor nowadays!

This starts very quiet. I recommend you listen WITHOUT the PDF in front of you first, for a reason I won't mention. You'll just have to listen.

Link to soundclick here.

No 1 - Daybreak.pdf

I found this to be a truly inspired work.

You've got such a lovely harmonic language going. I must say I found the contrasting ultra loud section from 36-45 a bit much, but it still more or less works - just feels a little over-done to me.

I think I can relate to the concept of "a bygone time when I didn't care how things sounded". I get this sense from my earlier works written prior to studying compositional theory in depth; a kind of youthful innocence/naivet

Well, it certainly does errm "assert itself" later one huh? :D

What part of daybreak is that?

When someone jolts you out of your warm bed to showel snow?

I did enjoy it though.

It had a warm earthiness about it.

It lulled me into a place of comfort then...

I don't know how to feel about "that" part.

I'm not going to say it shouldn't be there since the piece would probably be less without it.

I guess its one of those necessary evils, like the alarm clock at daybreak.

I appreciate it but hate it.

Somehow I think I'm getting at what you were trying to evoke.

If so, I think it worked.

Purely the sunrise, as it appears. The jolting contrast was meant to be evocative of the first sliver of blinding light coming over the horizon. The relative calm afterward is the peacefulness of the morning... but still with hints of what came before. When I was performing this, I felt the whole audience jump in their seats when I played "that part." That was very satisfying!

Out of all my works, this one has my favorite ending. :D

Thank you for the comments! I really can't believe I haven't gotten around to posting this until now, it was written quite a while before I joined YC.

After my performance, one of the professors who attended came up to me and said simply, "That was a neat piece." It was one of the most meaningful compliments I have ever received - he is not liberal with such things, and calls works by people like Vaughan Williams and Aaron Copland "neat." Also, everyone in the music department considers him to be the real genius among the professors.

I've never heard any of your work before Johan but I have to say, this was beautiful. I enjoyed every second of it and it kept me interested throughout. As I was looking at the score, I didn't expect it to be that good since I'm not usually a fan of disonnance but this really was quite good and I wouldn't have even noticed most of it if not for the score. Nice work...

Very personal and beautiful. I especially liked the beginning, with those two simple lines emerging out of that colourful first chord. Personally I would have made the piece much slower, possibly with about the first page as slow as 40, so you can really explore the harmonies and the simplicity of those two lines. It may sound a bit extreme to slow it down so much, but having just tried it on the piano, I like the effect.

This piece is truely beautiful, one I shall be keeping a link to and listening to often I suspect. I must have a look at the score in detail, once my exams are over and I have a little more time on my hands, as I would like to see what's going on, especially in the B section, which took me completely by surprise (in a good way).

I think this is the first bit of you music I've heard, and I must say I very much enjoyed it and am now off to search for more...

:D

OOoooooohh wow!!! That's all i can say for now! This is a mesmerizing piece! When i listened to it the 1st time i couldn't make much of it and i did like you told...without the pdf and i see why you suggested that: the loud chords became as what you intended them to be...SURPRISE! Then i looked at the pdf and i was amazed at how few notes are really involved and i realized that indeed - this is a very inspired work! In fact i think it deserves its place amongst other greats such as music from Ravel and Debussy especially! The most striking feature of the whole piece is that it has all the tension and release and all these balancing elements...maybe call it a neo-classical piece; although it lacks regular structure...when you listen to it...it sounds very balanced and structured.

Jan

Just wondering...where can i hear your other music as well?

Oooh! This is the reason that solo piano pieces are some of my favorite! Such emotion expressed through just one instrument... very nice indeed :P

I actually liked the loud part. Sure, it was a surprise but it felt right, the way it was. Made it sound more natural and organic, instead of rigid and fit-to-form.

Wow! Some amazingly lavish compliments, I never expected that! Saying it belongs right up there with Ravel and Debussy... that's quite a high estimation.

I've printed out a new copy to take with me on my trip to NY (for the funeral, see off-topic), and I've been pouring over it myself. It's been a while since I wrote it, and I myself am marveling at how I was able to accomplish so much with so few notes. There are a few spots in particular that stand out to me right away, my favorite bits. I've already mentioned the ending chord. The section starting at 55 used to be my favorite, and it still fun to listen to, but years later I am much more impressed with other, more subtle things, such as the harmony heard in the latter half of 67, especially the Bb/Enat on the last half-beat.

The theme of this piece, heard all throughout but first in measure 11, is unique to this piece... but the main theme of the suite is also heard in part, in measure 48. If you listen to the Starlight Waltz, the final piece in the suite, you'll hear that same motive realized in full form near the end, in 3/4 meter of course.

Sorry to talk so much at length about my own work, I just had to say what I personally like most about it. For those who would like to hear more of my work, just click the link to my Soundclick page in my signature... but I've also provided links to each of my previous threads below, in case people care to comment.

I've been fairly inactive in the submissions area of this forum for about the past year, and in that time I've made quite a few new friends around here! This has had the unfortunate side effect that most of the people who know me here haven't actually heard my music. Hopefully this has helped to remedy that. :) Also I hope to get caught up on hearing all of my friends' music as well, I haven't heard anything from most of you! That's primarily my fault, of course.

Four piano works - including the other two parts of this Suite

Unfinished flute and piano sketch

Waterfall piano duet - note: this may be incomplete in recording, I'm fairly sure it is on Soundclick. I need to post the finished version.

Short choral arrangement of a hymn - with lots of mistakes

Piano toccata - most dissonant thing I've written

Waterfall orchestral version - incomplete and needs to be completely re-written

Brass arrangement of one of my mom's many songs - now with GPO sample!

Enjoy. Not everything is on YC, and not everything is on Soundclick. On Soundclick you will also find an unfinished string quartet I was writing in cooperation with JohnGalt, as well as Journey to the Oasis, my first finished orchestral piece, which won me the 2006 YC Film Competition.

Enjoy! Thanks again for all the feedback. :D

Jon

The link in my signature has been repeatedly broken, follow this link instead.

Music page of Jon Howie - MP3 music page on SoundClick

That is a mightily impressive piece of piano writing sir!

I don't think I can criticise this, it's close to perfect. And in two days as well! It's very rare it happens, but it is one of the best things in the world when from nowhere you get inspired and music just flows from your pen/mouse.