Gott will im Dunkel wohnen

Hi all,

since I've been quiet during the last few weeks (due to lack of time either for posting or composition), I've decided to upload this piece so you can see what I'm up to these days. It was done for an assignment in the introductory harmony course I'm taking this semester, so it's not very polished - but it's not bad, either. The task was to set a short extract from a German song for a mixed choir, actually only two lines: "Gott will im Dunkel wohnen, und hat es doch erhellt / Als wollte er belohnen, so richtet er die Welt."

This translates to "Gott wants to live in darkness, and has yet [illuminated/lightened/brightened] it / as though seeking to reward, he does judge the world." (Sorry, it's a bit clumsy, but I can't do better). The full German song text can be found here: Br

AS-Gott_will_im_Dunkel_wohnen.pdf

AS-Gott_will_im_Dunkel_wohnen.mid

By the way, if you feel that the piece is too trivial for a proper comment, I'd like to know that as well... just leave a note to that effect, I won't be offended or anything :).

Hi Lizard,

This is a very nice setting of the text you used, and you are using nice alterations. However, when I hear it I feel that you made some little mistakes.

On the crossing of voices, I was learned that it should be avoided in homophonic settings, except when you have no other choice when going to the next chord. Although I think in this age nobody will care if you cross all voices constantly. So to me it is a matter of choice.

Because I always do harmony in a 4-voiced grand staff, it's hard for me to read the chords fast in this 4 system score. I think it's a good idea to check with your teacher to filter out the common mistakes (wrong doubling of notes and paralel 8ths and 5ths and incomplete chords.)

What I find quite fancy is that you do not modulate much in this setting at all (exept to G major), untill the last line where you go to (the somewhat distant) key of F major. The piece will feel very unfinished like this. If you want (in the context of harmony class) end a piece in major while starting in minor just change the very last chord (or of a senctence) of the whole piece to a major chord. It is possible to use this modulation (though not at the end) but it is a good idea to combine it with 'easier' modulations within the piece for some balance. Maybe as an alternative you could have used very heavy alteration in the end because you used alterations a lot before.

Also, I like the part where you leave out the bass, you can create more contrast by leaving out other voices too sometimes.

Hope this helps a bit,

Niku

Hi Niku!

Thanks for providing feedback, and sorry for my taking so long to reply (but it's Christmas after all ;))!

You mentioned some mistakes in the piece; regarding this, I'd just like to state that indeed I have not yet received feedback from my teacher regarding this stuff, and although I tried to take care to avoid the most common mistakes, there will surely be some left which I didn't spot.

I think you are quite right about the overall harmonic setting; it's quite static, and might have benefited from a change to another key for a few measures. I'm especially grateful for the feedback regarding the last line - I was going for a sense of otherworldliness for the ending, but it's good to receive actual feelings on whether it worked or not (and you can always learn more by making mistakes than by getting something right by chance).

Getting a good feeling for the appropriate timing of modulations (and where to modulate to!) is something with which I am still struggling, but I guess that's why I'm taking this course on harmony, after all. In any case, your post gave me some valuable insights as well :).

Thanks again and happy holidays!

The last line is a bit harsh.. but I suspect that good singers could manage to make it ethereal instead of awkward. I think maybe a slight reference to a related key in the first half somewhere would help. I really liked it overall, including the ending.

(and you can always learn more by making mistakes than by getting something right by chance).

I should learn to do that; I've always been too much of a perfectionist to take risks. You are right, I would rather write something fantastic with a few mistakes than something perfect but simple and lifeless.

echurchill, thanks for taking the time to leave some feedback :).

Of course I always try to create whatever I like best (and put some effort into that), but I have also always regarded composition as a craft which I could only improve by constantly performing it and experimenting with stuff, so in this sense, all of my compositions can be regarded as exercises to enhance my composition skills. I mean, what's the sense in only doing stuff that's been shown to work anyway? Of course you'll need that as well for a solid grounding, but in principle I find it much more exciting to discover a new fragment that works in spite of what everyone says, rather than because of it.

However, you've got to know the rules before you break them, so I'm trying to stick to these for the time being and right now just try to learn to use the tools provided to me by generations of composers who went before me more efficiently :).

Hi Niku!

Thanks for providing feedback, and sorry for my taking so long to reply (but it's Christmas after all ;))!

You mentioned some mistakes in the piece; regarding this, I'd just like to state that indeed I have not yet received feedback from my teacher regarding this stuff, and although I tried to take care to avoid the most common mistakes, there will surely be some left which I didn't spot.

I think you are quite right about the overall harmonic setting; it's quite static, and might have benefited from a change to another key for a few measures. I'm especially grateful for the feedback regarding the last line - I was going for a sense of otherworldliness for the ending, but it's good to receive actual feelings on whether it worked or not (and you can always learn more by making mistakes than by getting something right by chance).

Getting a good feeling for the appropriate timing of modulations (and where to modulate to!) is something with which I am still struggling, but I guess that's why I'm taking this course on harmony, after all. In any case, your post gave me some valuable insights as well :).

Thanks again and happy holidays!

Hi, sorry for reacting so late,

Harmony teachers are usually extremely fast in correcting those mistakes, that's why I suggested that. However in my whole post I didn't mention that I was talking about common practice 'rules' which are used in harmony class, but as this is the 21st century nobody really cares if you end a piece in a totally different key (if you can explain why you want to create this effect at that moment in the music), then it's a totally valid idea. But in the common practice time pieces were usually based on starting in one key and ending in the same, creating 'tonal tension' in the middle by modulating to other keys, and relaxing this tension by going back to the home key. They would not modulate to a remote key in the end because it creates a sudden tension in the end (However, they might have done it for a character piece for a certain effect).

On your question of modulations in general. In these things it is sometimes a good idea to start with extremely easy forms and then experiment from there. In tonal harmony the most basic form with tonal tension is the Da Capo form (A B A) with the B part in the dominant key (or relative major if A is minor) of A.

Another comment: I don't think your piece is static... actually, you don't need to modulate at all if you create enough contrast otherwise, which I think you did fine. :)

Greetings and a good change of year,

Niku