The Cinnamon Peeler

Based on a poem by Michael Ondaatje. Thanks for looking, I'd love some feedback!

The Cinnamon Peeler

Um...wow. This is...well, I honestly don't know how to say.

I love how unrelentingly bizarre the experience is (and the description itself is delightfully weird too), and the complex interactions between the instruments. I doubt that most people will "get" this piece, but I really like it! The concept is very high, and the way you go about expressing the Cinnamon Peeler makes sense, on an abstract level.

Thanks for sharing!

Thanks Serge! I'm glad you liked it Yeah, I was really working with timbre manipulation and interaction between the instruments in this piece.

I commented on this piece about an hour ago; I don't know why it didn't show up...

Anyway. Very impressive work! I very much enjoyed your consolidation of the different colors you used. As you mentioned, the manipulation of the timbre. The dialogue between the instruments was seemingly well thought out. A very beautiful and thoughtful piece, well done! Indeed one of the better pieces I've heard on the forum; a real treat. I look forward to hearing more of your work.

EDIT: Looking at the score of this piece, I have to say that some of the notation could be clearer (especially the long tones at the beginning of the piece; there's a sense of timelessness and it might be a bit of a problem to count...). Also I don't think the cues should appear in the score, and that the hammer on/pull off notation could be a little neater/clearer. But other than that, kudos to you. :]

This is one of the most intersting chamber works I've heard on this site, thanks for sharing. I love when the Bartok pizz. comes in (it starts feeling jazzy and even more sensuous). You have so many great sounds going on and a good sense of timing. The tetrachord you chose seems very stable to me, and since the individual notes don't suggest a direction for the music to flow the musical interest comes in the form of your orchestration, interplay between instruments, and manipulation of time. And, aside from a few minor collisions, this is a beautiful score. Nicely done! I hope we get to hear more of your work.

Whoops

Whoops? What's whoops?

Well, now to the piece...I really really like this. It's very minimalistic, and I like how you mix sometimes fun and pretty with bizarre. Really, good work. Why is it called the Cinnamon Peeler? And is this a live performance?

Despite being extremely minimalistic.. I like your textures and your interweaving of ideas amongst the instruments. Very good work.

Yeah, although not all of my pieces are post-minimalist I can't deny being highly influenced by Steve Reich, John Adams and Louis Andreisson especially. For me the opening of New York Counterpoint is one of the most beautiful things ever written... @BlackOrpheus- are the collisions you're talking about places where the clarinet and violin and closely scored? or even cross... hahaha That's a good point. Thanks for pointing that out!

@Heckelphone224 yeah it is a live performance! I suppose I should give credit- Clarinet- James Westbrook Violin- John Rutland Cello- Kasey Wasson Piano- Amanda Arrington

I had to do a double take when I saw Nico Muhly's name at the top, hah. I enjoyed this piece. There's a lot to sustain interest and it all flows very well. I feel like the use of the piano in particular helps the impression of a "flowing" music through the use of pedal and because it provides the opportunity for polyphonic solo writing. The only issue I have is that (upon first listen) it sounds "choked off" - the end comes abruptly when it feels like the piece is just about to come into a new stage of development ("development" being used more in the sense of "growing" than in the sonata-allegro sense). Other than that, I like it a lot. Thanks for sharing!

Interesting... where would you have heard it going? I actually played with the ending a lot.... it took a while for me to be happy with it. I could see it moving to a new place but I'm not sure where...

Really really nice writing. I don't find this overly minimalistic at all and think that it really is quite beautiful. I really enjoyed listening. My only comment of negative nature is that the score is a little messy. I only say this because you have had it performed. Otherwise, I would accept a few mistakes. However, it deserves to be cleaned up and made as beautiful as possible. Additionally, there are some spellings that are unnecessary imo..I stopped watching the score about half way through but I saw a B# in the clarinet, for instance, probably just because of the transposition. While this is fine, I would suggest just changing it to a c for ease of reading. for music like this, it is pretty much accepted nowadays that you can just go to the easier to read version of a note.

Ok, you asked me to give some specifics on the score. As I think this is a really nice piece, understand that I am just speaking visually and to make it easier to play..

The beginning..you don't intend there to be any kind of pulse with the half notes, correct? Is there a reason that this can't be in 4/4 so it isn't a little easier to count. Not that this is a big deal, but to me, any way it can be easier to read the better. If you have a good reason to leave it as written(establish a feel somehow through the held notes), no big deal.

mm. 104-piano part left hand and cello should be written as sixteenth tied to an eighth for ease of reading. Same thing for 107 with the similar rhythms and 109, 111, 115, everywhere else you have sixteenth rest followed by dotted eighth.

161-collision in the crescendo in the clarinet.

166-collision in the piano measure line at end of decrescendo

line of 167-collision in the crescendo with the triplet markings in cello

174 and 175-collision and near collision in accent in piano part

177-clarinet decrescendos to ppp with no notes, should be moved to previous measure

179-collision in accent in vcl

181-collision in # in F# in piano

183-some weird marking in the slur above the g# in clarinet, collision in accent on e in cello

186-collision in slur and accent in cello

202-collision in accent and slur in piano, also in cello, clarinet slur, and in 203 cello

206-tremelomarking on 8th note g is hitting notehead

210-collision in pno

211-collision in clar

215-collision in piano

at this point I'm going to stop naming the collisions as I think you can find them for yourself. I'll bring up some other points of question..

in the line of 240 for instance..what are you thinking harmonically? you use g# and then ab the preceeding measure. This is fine depending on what you are thinking, just want to make sure you know what you are thinking harmonically.

267-pno..a matter of preference but many feel that double dots should be avoided in instances such like this, instead tie the dotted half to an eighth to expose the beat.

273-get rid of the second layer rests if you can.

Ok, thats all for now..my eyes are tired. But like I said, this is nothing major..you are a very good writer.

That is extremely thorough and I really appreciate you taking the time to do this. Thanks a TON!

No problem. Clean it up! ha

Hey! I was checking NYAE's competition results...congrats on getting honorable mention with this piece! :] Again, great job.

- T