Compositions

Hello everyone,

I'm relatively new to this site (I joined a couple of weeks ago), so I wanted to share some of my music with you all.

I realize that not all of the works on here fall under the "chamber music" category but I figured it was all close enough.

Unfortunately, the majority of my scores are handwritten and so I won't be able to post any PDFs. Sorry for the inconvenience.

I'm really curious to know what you all think.

Thanks!

If anyone has any specific questions regarding any of the pieces, I'd me more than happy to answer all of them.

I hope to get to know you guys and all of your music a bit better!

I'm impressed. Particularly by your String Quartet, which I find very beautiful. I'd really like to have written that :)

Of course, it would be awesome to see the score, but if you can't or don't want to scan it in that's understandable.

Now, if you could try to be a bit less abrasive in your reviews of other pieces, I'm sure you could be a totally likable person too ;) Remember that this forum is named Young Composers, where not everyone is a professional and spends months of intensive work before a piece is finished.

Gardener,

I really appreciate that. I would love to be able to scan the score (mostly so I can back it up digitally), however, its on 11x17 paper (actually I think it's something weird like 12x16) and since I've not yet come across a scanner that large I've not been able to. If there was something in there that you were curious about notation-wise or how I achieved certain sounds -- anything, I'd be happy to discuss it with you, but unfortunately I won't be able to provide a score.

Am I abrasive? Its not intentional, perhaps the way I write obfuscates my intentions (or maybe things just seem nicer in my head). I critique people's pieces here in the same way that I do when I'm discussing it with them in person. Well, I'll try to be nicer. ;)

Thanks for listening!

It's nothing specific really. I just like to look at the score to really get into a piece. But I understand the format issue, I've experienced it myself. Right now I don't have any concrete questions either.

Am I abrasive? Its not intentional, perhaps the way I write obfuscates my intentions (or maybe things just seem nicer in my head). I critique people's pieces here in the same way that I do when I'm discussing it with them in person. Well, I'll try to be nicer. ;)

It was just in one or two posts, where your criticism seemed a bit harsh to me. No big deal, and better in any case than just saying "nice!" to everything. And maybe I'm just overcautious.

Gotcha, well if I ever get a chance to scan it, or decide to notate it, I'll let you know.

Hi Nicola,

Harmonics are really only used in the first movement (in fact, the quartet can be seen as growing out of a single harmonic) and tremelos are only used in the second, so I'm not entirely sure why you're basically saying these are used a lot throughout the piece.

I'm also not sure if you're calling my piece "cliche and also sort of sickening", or if you're saying that those techniques have become that.

Anyway, thanks a lot for listening and commenting.

Great, thanks for the clarification.

WOW .. very very outstandard

i am impressed

Hey Charlie,

I'm listening to your string quartet...I must say, the opening notes gave me the shivers, haha. I really love the use of the harmonics; they set the atmosphere really well (to say the least, haha)

Whoa. I thought I just heard a siren.

Well, to be honest, this isn't what I normally would listen to, but what you have written is quite engaging (your string quartet, anyway). I'm not extremely well versed in the avant-garde, so I don't know what criticism I can give, really, haha. From what I can tell you're a spectral fan, yes?

Again, I don't know what criticism I can give, but I liked this! I'm really curious about how a lot of these techniques were executed; namely the "siren" sound (was that really just a glissando?) and the "squeaking" which reminded me of George Crumb's "Black Angels". Really interesting stuff. Keep up the good work!

Very much liked the second and fourth movement of the string quartet. Very much.

In fact, I think it's certainly possible to explore those sounds even more. In other words, your pieces seem short. Especially the first movement was over almost before it got started. With the same material I think you could make your pieces significantly longer.

The third movement was out of place to me. I understand you probably wanted to contrast the other movements, but I don't find it necessary, especially in short pieces like yours.

Thanks Dark.

Black, the siren sound your hearing is most likely the gliss in the first violin -- the dynamics (for example it goes from 'f' and crescendos to 'fff' then subito 'ff' which crescendos to 'ffff' -- that's basically the pattern it follows) are probably what's causing it to sounds like a siren to you. If there are any sounds you'd like to know about just ask, I'll be happy to tell you.

Thomas,

There's no point in expanding on each movement. They develop as much as they need too and any further expansion would leave you saying "that was too long and over done" as opposed to wanting more. In addition, they are all developments of the same idea -- so the development is entirely there, throughout the entire work. I don't understand why you find the third movement out of place, I'd appreciate it if you could elaborate on that.

Well, it's obviously a quite delicate problem, as pieces in this style can indeed become quite insufferable if they drag on for too long. On the other hand, you create a very special atmosphere, and it's nice to kind of "ride the waves" of the music, if you know what I mean. Perhaps we listen to your music in slightly different ways. In any case, I can confidently say for myself that I could easily enjoy that piece if it were at least twice as long, without thinking it was "too long and overdone". This, of course, is a very personal critique.

The reason the third movement was slightly out of place to me, has to do with what I said above, the atmosphere you create in the other movements. In retrospect, this has more to do with my personal taste than with any artistic fault. I just as well should have kept it to myself, because there is absolutely nothing wrong with the third movement, at all. You chose to contrast when I probably wouldn't have, but I have no arguments except my musical taste.

Well, though we disagree about the length, I'll take your wanting to hear more as a complement. ;)

But in all seriousness, aside from the fact that I felt that the ideas were complete, the reason for miniatures was sort of an homage idea -- the piece is pretty much riddled with references to other string quartets (though not necessarily in obvious ways).

The third movement is essentially an extension of the second. The "squeaking" in the second violin in the second movement is transformed in the third. Double stops in the viola in the second are restated, in retrograde, in the cello. Plus it gave me an opportunity to poke fun at just about every pizzicato section in the string quartet rep! So I'm happy with it, though I do appreciate your comment.

I found the string quartet to be very similar to Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima and Black Angels, which is not a bad thing at all, as I enjoy those pieces a lot. I don't have much to say, as I have no score or anything to go off of, but it was an interesting listen.

Hey, I loved your string quartet, I've listened to it a few times now and I'd say it sounds perfect to me, although I must admit that I too wished it was longer the first time I heard it. I'd love to know how you got that sound in the fourth movement, it's quite beautiful. Actually if you could say a little more about your composition methods for this piece I'd appreciate it.

Great stuff!

Jackson

Ziggy,

Thanks for the comment.

Hey Jackson,

Thanks for listening and I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Sure, I'll be happy to talk about it. I suppose I should start with the first movement and work my way to the end? I initially had a lot of problems trying to write this piece -- this is my first string quartet and the idea of writing one was quite intimidating, so I listened to some quartets and allowed myself to grow out of them. I decided to use miniatures as a tribute to Kurtag (his works for quartet, specifically Op. 28, but also Op. 1 and Op. 13 were a big influence) and 24tET (quartertones) and 36tET (sixthtones) as my tribute to Haba (he has wonderful pieces for string quartet in both tunings). I should also mention that the idea of the piece was to explore the idea of a moving voice and a static voice.

The first movement grows out of a harmonic found in the 5th piece from Webern's Five Pieces for String Quartet (why that particular one stuck out, I have no idea as its not exactly a major point), and explores static harmony versus a moving cello line. It essentially grows out of the harmonic. Plus I wanted to contrast artificial harmonics (violins, viola) with natural (cello).

The second movement explores different forms of glissandi against open strings and contains another quote -- the opening viola double stop of Stravinky's Three Pieces for String Quartet.

The third movement takes the "squeaking" from the second and transforms it -- all of the material (up until the pizz) comes from that 4 note cell. The Stravinsky quote is present again. Thus it explores moving lines against held notes, as well, moving lines with a static "idea". The pitches in the pizzicato section are all ad lib'ed with the exception of the last three notes -- it was my way of poking fun a other pizzicato sections in other quartets (I am not a fan of pizz).

The fourth movement explores static harmony with shifting dynamics. After the little intro, each instrument starts with a double stop and glisses into the harmony it sustains. So they're holding a chord for quite some time (and they're all rather large stretches, which gives it the sort of strained sound). The chord includes quarter and sixth tones, so it's probably not one that's familiar. In addition, its not the most stable chord, and combined with the shifting dynamics it gives the illusion that this static harmony is in motion. The dynamic movement is a canon. By the end of the piece the violins and cello detune their lowest strings to the lowest possible pitch. The viola then quotes (or paraphrases?) the opening few measures of Beethoven's Grosse Fugue (the movement is sort of my reconceptualization of that) and thats about it.

Hej Charles

As promised I would listen to yours, in return for a comment.

My conventional backgroud prevents me from understanding your music. When I listen to prt1 of your stringquartet I hear a high pitch. At 40s a kind of motif (alto?) At 1:00 a cello line, and that's it.

How does this piece get it's structure?

What is the theme/motiv, if there is any

I know its rather basic. In my personal development I understand and appreciate impressionism and russian (prok/shos) music. But still the tonal parts.

I am never tutored in serialism or other 'novities'

any guidance would be nice :p

EDIT: Tape4a was kind of cool. But its more about deconstructing a churchymnal and less abstract

jr,

As I mentioned above, the first movement grows out of a single artificial harmonic. So the violins and viola start playing a unison C. The first violin moves to a D-flat and the viola to a B creating a three note cluster. The cello, playing natural harmonics (this, I think is what you mention as the "motif" that occurs "in the 40s"), starts on a C and then moves down until it lands on a G, then it goes from natural harmonics to "normal" pitches, as an open C sneaks in under the G harmonic. There's some more pitches and the movement ends.

The violin I and viola move outward from C, the cello grows out of the C, and the "normal" notes grow out of the G (being a harmonic of the C, also, another C), so there isn't a "form" in the traditional sense of sonata or rondo. Its more of an organic growth.

In terms of more traditional structure, the ENTIRE quartet is a kind of ABA' form, with the I being "A", II and III being "B", and IV, "A'" with a coda. When writing the piece I consciously though of movements I and IV and movements II and III as being linked. Also, as mentioned above, IV is a canon -- though the canon occurs with dynamics instead of pitch.

so far I've only heard your string quartet, but I'm definately going to take a look at your other works when time allows!

Firstly, you must be complemented on ur judgement of tone. I felt that you had set yourself an incredibly narrow range of harmonics (if that would be the most useful term to use) this being particularly apparent in the final mvmnt. In which respect I found the piece particularly rewarding. It's a highly 'concentrated' work in that regard which has however some remarkable shifts in colour (most notably the conclusion to the last mvnt. which has a real sense of having 'found' that quasi-Romantic tone).

I apologise if none of that made any sense, but expressing these things is remarkably difficult (perhaps that's why music is the better medium...!).

One comment though, is that I feel it could have easily been extended into a larger scale quartet with the sort of materials that were present. But perhaps its appeal may also b in its succinct nature...jus some thoughts for u!

Ty,

Thanks a lot for your comment, I appreciate it. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the other pieces too (so far I've only received comments on my String Quartet :forlorn:).

Firstly, you must be complemented on ur judgement of tone. I felt that you had set yourself an incredibly narrow range of harmonics (if that would be the most useful term to use) this being particularly apparent in the final mvmnt. In which respect I found the piece particularly rewarding. It's a highly 'concentrated' work in that regard which has however some remarkable shifts in colour (most notably the conclusion to the last mvnt. which has a real sense of having 'found' that quasi-Romantic tone).

Well thank you, pitch has become a very important thing for me and I spend a lot of time finding the perfect ones (which, like with this piece, meant I've had to expand my language to include those pitches outside of 12tET). I was quite happy with them in this piece, and I'm glad that it you were as well! I'm really glad you enjoyed it.

I think that "Romantic tone" of which you speak is the Beethoven quote. ;)

I apologise if none of that made any sense, but expressing these things is remarkably difficult (perhaps that's why music is the better medium...!).

One comment though, is that I feel it could have easily been extended into a larger scale quartet with the sort of materials that were present. But perhaps its appeal may also b in its succinct nature...jus some thoughts for u!

I think I understood okay! :D

You're right, it probably could have been easily extended. But I think it works out extremely well the way it is. Beethoven ruined music by saying "we must have ridiculously long developements".

My comment will focus only on the the string quartet

A well written contemporary string quartet. Somehow I find the movements too short as if they are more a series of episodes. If that was your intent then you succeed. However, why not be more expansive in your developmental treatment of you material. Each movement seems very much an arrow form - A B C ... where B and C are incomplete transmutations of A. I would have liked more time spent on these transmutations.

You may want to listen to Coates Sept 11th string quartet - probably her best one. Your implementation of glisses reminds me a little this quartet as yours hints at a structural use of it (eg incipient canons or layering to create a harmonic backdrop).

In sum, I think this should be a much more extensive work. As it stands successful (IF you meant each movement to be episodic) and well written.

My comment will focus only on the the string quartet

A well written contemporary string quartet. Somehow I find the movements too short as if they are more a series of episodes. If that was your intent then you succeed. However, why not be more expansive in your developmental treatment of you material. Each movement seems very much an arrow form - A B C ... where B and C are incomplete transmutations of A. I would have liked more time spent on these transmutations.

You may want to listen to Coates Sept 11th string quartet - probably her best one. Your implementation of glisses reminds me a little this quartet as yours hints at a structural use of it (eg incipient canons or layering to create a harmonic backdrop).

In sum, I think this should be a much more extensive work. As it stands successful IF you meant it to be episodic and well written.

Just to add: Coates is great.

That is all.

In sum, I think this should be a much more extensive work. As it stands successful (IF you meant each movement to be episodic) and well written.

Thanks for taking the time to listen. If it's successful as is, why expand it?

Thanks for taking the time to listen. If it's successful as is, why expand it?

Don't you hate it when people, when they can't think of anything good to say, go with the I-only-wish-you-expanded-and-developed-your-ideas pitch? A cool cat (student) from Indiana (McGraffe?) complained about the same thing that I am right now.

I think your shiz rocks man.

[And no disrespect to you CO... You know I want to marry you. You just reminded me of this.]

So let's remember to write really good 30 second works voer crappy 8 minute works. :)

Your so good. Keep it up!