Some Miniatures

These are from a set of miniatures that I will be writing over the next long while. I've decided to do one every day (or close to it). They will be in all keys (or lack thereof) and all styles. I will be periodically adding to this set here.Comments welcome!

Some Miniatures

Installments so far:

#1 - 2/16/10 - 4 Miniatures: F major, Db Major, Bb Major, F# Major

#2 - 2/19/10 - 3 Miniatures: C/F# Major, Waltz in Ab Major, Inspired by Ginastera

#3 - 2/19/10 - 1 Miniature: French?

#4 - 2/23/10 - 1 Miniature: In Response to Team Canada's Loss to Team USA, Olympic Men's Hockey - 2/21/10

#5 - 2/25/10 - 1 Miniature: An Olympic Fanfare, Of Rejoicing: In Response to Team Canada's Win over Germany and Russia in Olympic Hockey - 2/24/10

Very nice pieces Justin. My favorite is by far the last one - I felt there was a sense of uniqueness to it that i've not seen much in your music. I look forward to hearing more of these.

you never compose any bad stuff . you are so cool

very cool

Ik liked the one in Bb major. It was interesing.

I love the way you keep the harmonies interesting. How do you do that ? (I mean is it just chromatism, wich sometimes ends up a bit cheesy, and the other time just awesome? Or do you have a more methodical approach?)

One bad thing, they are all in a major key

very coolIk liked the one in Bb major. It was interesing. I love the way you keep the harmonies interesting. How do you do that ? (I mean is it just chromatism, wich sometimes ends up a bit cheesy, and the other time just awesome? Or do you have a more methodical approach?)One bad thing, they are all in a major key

Haha! I wish I could say I had a method but I don't.

Minor key ones are a-commin'.

Sorry, but i didnt like this. dont know if youre interested, but i write down my ideas about it.

first of all you had a 5parallel in the 2nd bar... why? o.O Anyway i like the 7th bar. But i didnt like the 23th bar, i'd write a different chord there..

In the 2nd movement, in the 6th bar u used a figuration, but that C-Db-Eb chord sounds awkward to me. In the 7th bar, you arrived to I. But you continued with a I7, which should be a figuration too, and i think you know this, because later you used this technique. So i would leave Db in the bass, and have the C note from the Db in the right hand. Will sound much more better..

The third movement is not in Bb major... Anyway i liked this movement..

The last movement starts good. But 14-17 why do you have this monotonic accompaniment? Always F#... The last chord would be okay for me, if you'd prepare it before o.O The bass melody in 23th bar has some problems too.

So. There are some many good things in your piece, but there are some mistakes too. Do you have a composition teacher? He/She would tell these for you o.O

Good luck in rest

I love little things ! A composer can refine their style in them and learn how to cut out flack. The harmonic language is wonderful - a little like Poulenc the way they can shift at unexpected moments - little twinkles of the modern. The opening one is my favourite - playful and evocative. The second one I found a little bit limited. Even small pieces dont have to be limited. The chords of the third are lovely and that pulsating rhythm. Thanks for sharing keep writing and adding to this ... it is a great venture. hones:

That was... intense to say the least. The themes are really cathcy, too. I love how there's always something going on, how it's always moving.

Justin,

I really like where you're going with these miniatures. My one comment is that you need to loosen up with the melodic material. Especially when it comes to its interaction with your harmonic underpinning. That said, I think it's interesting to note that what you are doing here unintentionally is what I am doing intentionally. I have been working on using more modern techniques within my traditional classical style. It's taught me quite a bit about music itself and I hope that you are learning things as well doing these sort of miniature works (I reference my 12 short pieces as examples of this sort of thing). Very good work here! Keep these coming!

Very interesting, sorta reminds me of church for some reason. An image of an old lady rocking out to a hymn medley on the piano before service popped into mind. Well anyways I liked it was very energetic and entertaining, keep up the good work!

No score!

But that aside, I'm very impressed with the progress you've made in such a ridiculous short time. The first and last miniatures are really good, specially the first. They're all interesting however, since even what seems simple is somehow twisted and turned around in different and personal ways. Nice attention to detail.

I'll say it again, you keep showing you have very cool ideas. I was already surprised that you were using clusters in your other miniature post (the 3rd one had them as percussive effect) and now you're messing with the ending (the first miniature here.) It's great to see you're really grasping for possibilities. After hearing the miniatures I can actually see what stuff you like and what you like using, beyond whatever nonsense restrictions and that's always a good sign.

What would interest me to hear though is how you would do if you had to force yourself to "start from scratch." Pretend you don't know anything about music and just orient yourself with what you think sounds cooler. Forget rhythm, forget form, forget all that you know about theory or harmony, just write purely by your ear. Like, keep it real short like you've been doing, don't even think of it as a piece in fact. Just write.

Since clearly you have an ear for very different types of harmonies and colors, I think it'd be interesting to see what you do if you just set yourself a very open-ended goal like that.

Thanks for your comments guys! I got the score to work now too.

#3 uploaded. Only one this time.

This is all absolutely fantastic, Tokkemon! :D

The problem is, I really don't know what else can be said, besides awesome job :dunno:

some remarks again. (since you post groupwise, the first number is the group, the 2nd the piece, I put the key with it, to be sure)

1.1 F major, quite classical. I would have added some harmonical oddities before ms 7, and after the introduction of the first accidentals never use a V-I cadence. I had hoped for some nice russian neo-classical idiom here

2.1 C/F# is just plain fun. superb!

2.2 waltz in Ab. I think the worst of the set. The wals is too obvious, too classic, too, argh... I hate waltses well, do you know prelude 15 from Shostakovich 24 preludes and fugues. The only waltz I like...

2.3 the ginastera one. Fine, until the obvious quote around ms 42. Sounds like you ran out of inspiration... Nice piece by ginastera BTW, I saw it on several Facebook accounts

3.1 French? nice piece, has indeed an impressionistic sound

A new one for y'all, part 4. This one is VERY different for me composed entirely of tone clusters (almost). It was written in response to Canada's embarrassing loss to Team USA on Sunday... hopefully it will get better. Who knows? Perhaps a miniature to celebrate Canada winning Gold will come next.

#4 With the clusters is sooooo jokes. Very fun composition. I'm glad you made a score for it too. Love the use of O Canada with shrieks and screams around it. That bass ostinato at measure 4, is that strumming the inside of the piano strings? What are you doing with that cluster?

A very fun piece, Tokkemon.

-John

Just a rolled cluster on the keys. I didn't get that crazy.

I listened to the last two last night and today... and I see clearly that you put more thought into the 3rd as opposed to the 4th. The 4th just seemed like you were, for lack of a better word, making fun of those who are asking you to become more modern. Why do I get that feeling? Well, for starters... your theme there is all but modern - and you don't even treat it modernly. You just have it play and then surround it with clusters. Reminds me of some of my friends in the past who would right a piece traditionally and then go back and add dissonance to the chords to make it sound modern. They did that as sort of a joke. I'm just not convinced on it really.

I listened to the last two last night and today... and I see clearly that you put more thought into the 3rd as opposed to the 4th. The 4th just seemed like you were, for lack of a better word, making fun of those who are asking you to become more modern. Why do I get that feeling? Well, for starters... your theme there is all but modern - and you don't even treat it modernly. You just have it play and then surround it with clusters. Reminds me of some of my friends in the past who would right a piece traditionally and then go back and add dissonance to the chords to make it sound modern. They did that as sort of a joke. I'm just not convinced on it really.

Really, Woodruff?! REALLY?! What gave it away?! XDDDD

Seriously, though, I lol'd when I heard it: brilliant way to convey Canada's awful defeat to USA! xD

Seriously, though, I lol'd when I heard it: brilliant way to convey Canada's awful defeat to USA! xD

Absolutely!!! Now I have to write another one tonight pending how Team Canada does against Russia tonight. Either one joyous and/or even louder and more obnoxious. I.e. :jedi: or :sith::sith::sith::sith::sith:

Sight-read through Minature in Db - Lento. Sorry if it didn't turn out so well. http://www.box.net/shared/rux8v2s01g

bravo

Sight-read through Minature in Db - Lento. Sorry if it didn't turn out so well. http://www.box.net/shared/rux8v2s01g

Wow, that was lovely! You know, this one was my least favorite of the set but now I think I love it more than the rest! Well done!!!

Sometimes midi just doesn't cut it for pieces like that. Gotta hear it live to really appreciate its beauty.

I'm glad you liked it :P If you make slower sight-readable movements, I'd gladly record some more.

PS. My mic still sounds mushy right?

Sometimes midi just doesn't cut it for pieces like that. Gotta hear it live to really appreciate its beauty.

I'm glad you liked it :P If you make slower sight-readable movements, I'd gladly record some more.

PS. My mic still sounds mushy right?

Didn't sound too mushy to me. It could have been crisper perhaps, but in the context of this piece, it didn't need it.

Part 5 uploaded. Contains the antithesis to part 4! :happy: