The Scherzo of my second sonata is ready.

Hello!

I finished the third movement of my second sonata: Scherzo.

You can listen to it here:

Online Composer and Writer | Keep on Writing

Love to hear comments!

Happy holidays,

Andr

Hi Andre,

This movement is the only piece of yours I've heard of heard, and well, my goodness, how many times each day must you ask why you were born in this century?! You have such a grasp of the style (I will not mention the obvious names)... truly fine work!

I would offer this: Your second main theme (that would be the trio?) cries out to begin in another key. The obvious choice is D flat, so the F will be the first melody note instead of the tonic under the A, as you have it. If you feel you've had enough D flat in the first movement (which I've not heard), end the first section in another key (other than F) and proceed the same, with the trio a major third down (or whatever) from wherever you end it. But at any rate, we really want a new key for the trio.

Clearly you are a fine writer, but one or two more suggestions: vary your piano textures... leave the central range a bit more. Maybe utilise the high treble?

Also: the movement would benefit from a short coda, maybe wandering a bit through some tonal centers, as you do so well in the scherzo, while playing with the little 3-note tag motive.

Don't think that your skill and subtlety in the left hand writing has gone unnoticed! Thoroughly enjoyable!!

Later: I just listened to your second movement. The full textures of your scherzo make sense after the second movement, but I'd still explore some higher tessituras in the scherzo.

You are enough of a musician to realize that you have some "style consistency" issues. It's a question of discipline working along with inspiration. I would have expected a bit more "spice" in the scherzo (which is so thoroughly grounded in 1850) after a second movement like that. But I really should be listening to the sonata in order from first to third... after all, these are movements. Still, nice work. Is it my imagination, or does the main theme (beginning with the rising minor second) always appear in the same key? I was unsuccessful in finding the score to download from the link.

You have great talent... congrats!

What are you using to record? The dynamics seem to have discreet levels spaced rather widely apart... sometimes the odd note winds up at the wrong level. Reminds me of a story. It may have been Arthur Schnabel who was asked to record some piano ("reproducing") rolls. He was assured that they could reproduce 14 levels of dynamics. The pianist declined, saying, "I have 15".

Hi Camaysar,

I did get the comment about that my music is not of this time, yes, and that I should write more modern. But as long I enjoy writing like this, why should I change? I believe as well that growing into a more modern style should come by itself, if ever, and not something that should be forced. I love to write as the romantic composers did, the form, atmosphere, the way of development... I believe it's a beautiful way of writing!

Thanks for the suggestion of key change, I will try it out and see how it feels to me. The idea of a coda came to me as well, but I like the way it vanishes at the end, probably the 4th movement will come out of this distance and breaks everything open in a broad D flat Major. I only have some sketches yet for the next movement, nothing set yet.

Great that you noticed the left hand... I always try to reuse my material without inventing new one all the time. I believe that is how music should be written, but that is of course my own style...

Hi Camaysar,

I did get the comment about that my music is not of this time, yes, and that I should write more modern.

Andre, I didn't mean to suggest that you should be "more modern". One should always write as one feels. In fact, that is the truly modern approach! If this were the 1960's, no composition teacher would look kindly on music such as yours, or even major chords, or octaves. If your music wasn't post-serialist, and didn't sound like Donald Martino or Elliot Carter, so it was thought, you weren't really writing music. But now, since the likes of Glass and Part, to name just two, anything is "allowable", including a big romantic piano sonata. So... go for it. I love what you're doing.

Nice, enjoyed it!