"Nocturne" for String Orchestra

Orchestration: String orchestra (minimum 4/4/2/2/1, maximum ?)

Harmonic Language: Varies. There are sections with very clear and traditional tonal centers (most notably the end of the exposition), with other areas of less clear tonal focus (though I hope it's still apparent). I tried to use modified chords to imply harmonies, as well as pan-diatonic pitch organization.

Intended Level: College orchestra +. I don't push the extremes of the instruments, but there are several passages with multiple (fluid) string crossings, false harmonics, and a good deal of importance placed on the second violins.

This may get a premiere in the fall, and I have a reading session next week, so if you have any suggestions, PLEASE share them. I find it hard to talk about my own music without feeling pompous, so I'm not including too many details. However, I wanted this to be a fairly accessible piece, using non-traditional harmonies and other tools in a traditional way. The whole piece is in a modified sonata form, with the exposition and recap inverted (the primary theme does not appear unaltered until the first transitional statement, the second theme functions as the coda). Down the road, I may want to use this as the inner movement to a larger scale work, but we'll see.

PDF, Finale 09, and midi attached. Thanks in advance!

PS: The fact that the piece "is" dissonant but doesn't sound so is partly intended. I tried to use extended harmonies, pedals, and other effects to create a very lush sound that also falls outside the boundaries of traditional harmony.

Gonzales - Nocturne.mus

Finale 2009 - [Gonzales - Nocturne.pdf

Nocturne.mid

Very lovely, a mahlerian nocturne! not what I was expecting from you Matt.

a few tiny notation things to fix (very tiny), like a slur colliding with a page title (i think on page 2), and a few misshapen slurs around page 5 (just go through the score in page view), and be sure that hairpins reach all the way to the target dynamic (there are a few spots where the hairpin stops a few beats shy of the next dynamic).

A tiny dynamic question: at one point you have a section parked piano, then suddenly mezzo forte... yet the phrase doesn't feel like a "subito" sort of dynamic change. Is there perhaps a hairpin missing there?

Musically, the only spot I wasn't convinced of was near the end, the unison between basses and celli... it felt a bit heavy for both to be playing arco. I don't know, that MIGHT be something to consider altering. (but then, I have a bias against arco contrabass).

I liked the quiet feel of the almost-static harmony. Your harmony studies are doing you proud.

I like it.

Just a very few concerns, mostly notational. 1) Make sure you're not obscuring the beat (happens in a few places), and 2) when using divisi, make sure the both parts have the adequate number of rests (example: m.94 in the violas - you need to unhide the rests on beat 2 and 3, also make sure you indicate tutti when the part is no longer divided).

Go over the score just a few more times and comb out some of the visual elements and you'll have a winner! Great job.

Wow - if I only have notation errors going on, then I must finally be doing something right. Thanks to both of you for looking at this.

Flint - for the obscured beats, are you referring to measures like 21-22 and 22-23 where there ARE no downbeats?

Michel - You have no idea how much your praise means. After finishing my last big piece, I really had no inclination to write this, and it was an undertaking that put a lot of pressure on myself and my systems of writing. Rhythmically, I feel like it's still "weak", but at the same time, I want this to be crisp, precise, and not confusing/frustrating to performers.

Bass/Cello at the end - I want to hear it with a live orchestra before making the final call, but I think you're right. I was considering giving the bass the pizzicato eighth note figure carried by the violins throughout the first theme group. We'll see how Monday goes.

I printed out a copy of the score to get a better feel for how it works out, and I noticed (and I'm surprised that neither of you caught) that I have a few "out of place" expression marks, like senza sordinos for an un-muted violin 2 and other little things like that.

Matt

I cannot open your mus file in my version of notepad and your midi is not working right in Sibelius. Since you used Finale, will you render this thru finale and post a link to a mp3?

Thanks

Ron

I think you MAY have sacrificed a bit too much in your intention to become "more accessible." Do you intend to appeal to popular taste or write something which you personally must hear, and cannot hear it any other way, and that in doing so it doesn't matter whether it's accessible or not because you LOVE IT and it appeals most to YOUR taste.

Do you want to impress others/want them to 'like' the piece or do you want them to perhaps be placed in an unsure place, but in which the experience comes across clearly as your personal vision, and not some attempt to satisfy others?

The final question then becomes: Do you care if they like your music, but find it unsuccessful, or do you care if they hear your, dislike it, but can appreciate and acknowledge the success of your aesthetic intentions? I am sure you would want to have both, and such is possible, but I feel this can only be accomplished if you start from a place in which you aim to create a successful aesthetic creation/vision. Your personal voice will undoubtedly come out, and if you were honest, you will love your own music. If others tend to both love your music and find it successful, then better for you.

Ultimately the question is: are you aiming to create a guilty pleasure or craft a personal vision?

that said, keep up the hard work. I hope you enjoy your reading!

Not a problem, as long as bandwidth doesn't get too out of control. I currently have the MP3 posted here. It's in the "Composition" subfolder. All the other stuff is pretty much pure garbage.

Ron, I'm not sure if the MP3 worked for you. If that link doesn't work for anyone, let me know, because I'm going to be hosting all of my stuff there from now on.

After some deliberation, I've decided to take the cello-bass tutti figure at the end and use pizzicato for the bass to give an added texture. It sounds much more transparent that way. I'm debating some different options with mutes and other color options, like using senza vibrato in the opening.