Sonata I for Flute, Recorder and Harpsichord

I will say from the outset that I do not have the scores up yet for these pieces. For some reason I am having trouble with pdf, and I keep getting error messages. As soon as I can resolve it, I'll post them ASAP.

These are small, fun pieces, written in a few hours for flute, recorder and harpsichord bass line. I tried to keep them in simple trio form as much as possible. I dont really the follow rules of avoiding // 8ves and 5ths, or other things that some purists might have anuerysms over. I just believe in writing smart music that sounds good; I hope I've achieved that goal somewhat with this little sonata. I admit, these were fun pieces to write, and I have about half a dozen other trios and miscellaneous small chamber works I can post for review, but I wanted to test the water with this one first. I am not a professional composer, nor have I ever taken a class in composition. Just a hobby I've cultivated over the years studying the works of Bach, Vivaldi, Zelenka, Telemann, Handel.

Yeah, I'm one of those guys on the tonal side of the fence. And I love baroque (albeit I necessitate injecting my own originality rather than merely composing pastiche. I find the baroque medium large enough and accomodating for a vehicle of 21st century individualism). In any case, I hope you enjoy these little offerings, and please feel free to comment!

Sonata I - Allegretto.mid

Sonata I - Spiritoso.mid

Sonata I -Allegro.mid

But there are several odd turns in the phrases and/or harmonies that breach the style and makes me wonder what you true intentions were while writing it: "true Baroque", "Neo-Baroque" (as in "Neo-Classical")... or neither?

As far as the parallel 8ves & 5th's problem: it is and will always be a problem if you want your music to SOUND and LOOK as it was written 200-300 years ago. You just can't dismiss that as a ridiculous set of rules - which, MAN, it is! It's mostly about keeping the parts independent of each other and maintaining good sonority, harmonic clarity and melodic individuality.

Thanks for the comment. My intentions were to simply write a fun piece, certainly nothing too deep or purposeful as far as pedantic or didactic expression goes. This was more like an intrepid voyage to see what I could merge with traditional baroque elements and yet remain somewhat individualistic. I'm not dismissing parallel 5ths and 8ves, but I would write a piece completely in 5ths or parallel octaves if I knew it would mesh with the harmony and sound good. As you well know, they often don't. This is because I am not trying to sound authentic in the sense of being a dead-ringer for Bach or Albinoni, or to pass my music off as something being a 200-300 year old genuine specimen. I'm really not after that. The baroque form is merely a springboard - or a syringe, if you will - to inject my own ideas. Admittedly, this piece has more traditional baroque influence than my own idiosyncratic gleanings.

Again, I apologize for scoreless samples. Try opening the midi with your notation software. If this violates forum etiquette, I'll remove the music till I'm able to get the scores up.

PFW

If you are satisfied with giving a superficial impression of a style, and as long as you are having fun and have some motivation behind it (you do), then more power to you. Ultimately it comes down to music you hear and either you like it or not.

I don't know if this was pointed specifically at me, but I'll address it all the same. It is, as you say, about "moving on", but I don't believe this "moving on" necessarily means one transcends a particular idiom or progesses onward, say, in the chronological fashion of rennaissance to baroque to rococco to classical to romantic, ad nauseum; with the most modern style signifying the greatest progression in terms of self expression or compositional acumen. And I'm sure that's not what you mean, either. I tend to believe you can use a specific idiom to cultivate your own style, and compose within it to your heart's desire....and still manage to churn out quality, original, memorable music. The labeling of the vehicle whereby you arrive at your style will always be there, of course, but this is something which cannot be avoided. You can inspect the exterior of a house and tell immediately if was made of steel, rock, cedar (the same parallel can be drawn with music styles), yet the inside decor can be surprisingly eclectic and fresh and new - but, sometimes it can be plastic and cheap as well ): In all this, superficiality, to me, carries negative connotations, but I do understand and respect what you're saying.

I do confess: I have alot of fun composing! I break plenty of rules, and perhaps my style is the musical equivalent of a Big Mac and fries with a bottle of 1982 Chardonney on the side, but what the heck - it's fun! If we're going to place a superficiality label on something, that's fine, but let it never be said that this label applies to the soul behind the composition - regardless of what element it may be expressed through. At the end of the day, I'm not looking to even have my music featured as a footnote in a music textbook; I just find it relaxing and self-edifying to compose in this quasi-baroque (or even parabaroque) style I have come to love and feel very much at home with over the years.

PFW :)