Scherzo no 1 (alla Liszt)

Scherzo no 1. Alla Liszt? No! I was under the influence of Paganini!

In the first part I really had a jol. The second part (marziale) is quite furious. I've had quite problems playing the piece. At such a tempo, the double thirds are tricky and the trill on the 1/8 note in the first part is quite a risk.

Interpretation? Alla Paganini! Yay!

Nevermind the MIDI. Personally, I play it slower than the MIDI and unfortuenately I don't own a recording studio. It's a pity.

Is there any music file to go along with that?

Can anyone please review my piece? Anyone? Please?

Pieter Smal :-/

This is really good, The piece is incredibly coherent. Everthing is right in place. Even with the midi it sounded amazing. The ending was a bit abrupt to my liking. But i really enjoyed it.

This really is a great piece of music! I agree that the ending is a bit abrupt, but that doesn't take away from the piece. Very well done!

I might add that is a "da Capo" which is not included on the MIDI file (which is a terrible shame) but when you use the right amount of Force, Ritardando and interpretation, the ending is fine! Thank you very much for your precious time!

This was really brilliant. Excellent work

You asked for a review, but I'm not sure what there is to say. I'll try to be critical, but for the most part this strikes me as an accomplished and musically sound composition. The first forty seconds or so were enjoyable, unassuming and idiomatically correct. If I were to levy any criticism of that section, it would be the lack of anything unexpected.

Things did however weaken substantially in the second half of the MIDI file, around bars 16 and 17. I wasn't convinced that parallel thirds moving around a few notes would form the basis of a particularly engaging melody, and by bar 25 I was sure about it. The circle of fifths passage was woefully predictable, and, to be honest, a slight letdown after the drama of the piece's opening gestures. The underlying harmony was fine, but I think if you're going to deploy it successfully you need to do something more interesting in the right hand, be that chromaticism, drawn out appoggiaturas or (most obviously) by using a non-sequential melody.

I would write a real review, but I can only load the last page of the score.

From what I hear, this is very musically sound, as others have said. Great work!

EDIT- I just got the other pages to work, and I can say that the only thing I would look at if I were you is that some things collide, like an occasional "sF" and notes that fly off the staves. That is all.

Alan! You came back! :w00t:

Well, it seems like you really know how to write for piano. I wouldn't consider the speed of the MP3 unplayable, as I have heard pianists with finger dexterity strong and controlled enough to reach those speeds comfortably.

It is a very memorable piece, and a definate Gem however, like Zetenic has said, I didn't find anything unexpected. Thats mainly because of the lack of harmonic progression. It was very Chord I - IV - V - I and then give or take a few chords out of the actual key itself. This is ok I think for a piece of music like this, and there is nothing wrong with using that progression if you do a good job of writing the parts. See, the pianistic writing you did gave the progression justice.

I like the motif. Just a little bit of trivia you might not care for: Debussy's second arabesque uses the same motif. Theres no reason I told you that haha, I just saw it and went...oh yea, ive seen that before. And that doesnt mean you aren't original. You certainly utilised it in a different manner to debussy. I looooove motifs.

Ummm...the second section is pretty good...i like that you moved from Bminor in to Eminor...though, the transition was a bit cliche...and its been done before, and didn't really showcase a study of harmonic progression. Sure, I do it to: B minor into a Bmajor chord, makes it a great lead into E minor. This is where I feel zetenic also was pointing at, it wasnt very unexpected. THere are other more interesting and risky ways to get there.

Anyways, thats just getting picky...its definately a piece I wuold want to learn if I ever had the chance because it is lively and animated. Keep up the good work. And please study pianistic writing more...there is so much our instrument can do that you need to discover.

:)

? I am dumfounded! But thank you! Yes, I will improve. MORE Scherzi coming up soon!

I would like to offer some repertoire to look at to expand or re-evaluate your pianistic techniques as this Scherzo sounds more like a Rossinno interlude/overture than a Scherzo al la Listz/Pagannini -

Schumann - Fantasie in C major Op 17.

Beethoven - Op 111 sonata

Chopin - Etude in E flat minor from Op 10, the A minor on from Op 25, and the Preludes

Debussy - Images, and much of his work after that - Ravel Jeau D'eaux and after

Schoenberg Op 31 Piano pieces

Ruggles - Invocations

Nancarrow - player Piano studies.

The Nancarrow as written is impossible for one player but there are 2 piano versions. But defintely worth finding or listening to all of these and more.

I did leave alot out - Scraibin, Rachmaninoff which I would say look at but with caution --- you use one or two of their devices.

Also, take familiar works and switch the parts so that rh plays lh and lh plays rh. Excellent exercise.

4/4 Time???????

NO TRIO????????

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

MORE Scherzi coming up soon!

:O

I have to agree with composer organist and with Edgar on this. You called the piece a scherzo BUT the music is more moderate - to light allegro. Scherzo are supposed to be fast pieces, 3/4 time pieces with an ABA' form. Aside from that technicality, I think you did a good job working your material. The B minor into E minor is nice - though a nice journey into E major would've been more striking and classical, I think (i - IV instead of i - iv) All in all, nice work!

I liked this a lot!