Five Bagatelles for Horn & Marimba by Jason Thorpe Buchanan

Hello everyone,

I recently completed and had the premiere of a work for Horn & Marimba. I am considering some revisions to solve a few technical issues, add some breathing room/space, and provide additional contrast between movements. I may also shorten some of the movements slightly.

The first draft of the score is attached, I would greatly appreciate any suggestions or criticism. Here is a link to the Youtube videos of the premiere:

Thanks so much,

- Jason Thorpe Buchanan

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Five Bagatelles for horn & marimba by Jason Thorpe Buchanan were written in Fall 2008. These five movements each emphasize a different musical element and their construction is loosely based on the geometric subtitles, Circles, Squares, Dots, Lines, and Triangles. These figures are sometimes represented intervallically, rhythmically, structurally or graphically, with much of the pitch and rhythmic material being generated based on the shape and its designated musical element.

Ryan Simm - Marimba

Bryce Nakaoka - Horn

Performance Date:

February 4, 2009

Las Vegas, NV

For more information on the composer please visit

Jason Thorpe Buchanan

or

Melos Music

First off...

Is #3 Triangles or Dots? I would guess that it was triangles because it's #3, but I don't know....The videos are inconsistent with the score titles for #3 and #5...

Are you playing one of these parts? Either way, I would've had them go through those four measures starting at measure 18(?) in the second movement.

Overall, very nice! Very interesting, some cool effects in there with the marimba and horns... I liked it.

Kudos!

~Kal

Yes, we decided to switch number 3 and 5 before the performance, I am going to change the score to reflect that. I was not performing, I'm not certain what you mean by "Either way, I would've had them go through those four measures starting at measure 18 in the second movement"

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it.

Oh, I'm just talking about that accelerando-esque thing you had going on there (I've seen anything like it before and I have NO clue what it's called)... I don't think it was very even, and if I wasn't looking at the score I wouldn't have noticed it...

...But then again, maybe that was the point.

~Kal

Nice :)

i was blown away. What you've written is eloquent, exciting, and original. Kudos to you!

First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the music you have created. Sorry if I am going to sound nasty. A person at your level would certainly have little problem in the music aspect, what I would like to comment on the idea. I just find that there isn't anything special about constructing music based on shapes. Perhaps a cool idea but if I would ask the question, "so what about using shapes?" I didn't feel much sophistication from it. You have created very nice music here. Even if you do not tell me about the shapes, I would still find them very enjoyable.

Abstract isn't negative, as long as it's expressive in its own idiom.

Thank you all for the comments! Regarding the use of shapes as subtitles, the intention was not really to represent the shapes musically, but to utilize them as a structural tool. Much of the pitch material, rhythmic material and other structural elements were based around each of these geometric figures. However, I agree that this did not come across very clearly. I think that integrating these shapes on a more surface level would provide a much richer experience for listeners/something to grasp. (If I give them this programmatic information)

I was not entirely satisfied with the outcome of the work as a whole, and believe that there could be much greater contrast between movements. I think that one contributor to the lack of an emotional arch, has to do with the overuse of tremolo in the marimba + horn melody and not saving that texture for points that are emotionally climactic.

I have considered paring down some the movements to shorten the overall length and prevent any repetitiousness. I think this is something I will go back and do in revisions when I have some time on my hands.

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

- Jason