In Relation To...

This work is my first experiment with micropolyphony.

In Relation To...

wow. I think this is interesting. Al kinds of tonal implications at once

I agree with Jrcrammer! I have no idea how it worked, but it definitely did very well! The feel was mysterious and although the score looked boring the music kept me into it the whole time. Good job.

Thanks guys, glad you liked it.

Jaap: interesting you said tonal, this is fully serial in construction. Each of the suspensions is based off the last or first note of the row.

Serial doesn't mean atonal...

No, you're right it doesn't. But, the tonality you all perceive here isn't intentional. It's rather incidental and due only to the suspensions that are created.

This is very interesting, not really tonal, rather consonant. I'm not sure you really got the correct concept of the micropolophony. I mean, I certainly here the long sustained chords, however, typically Ligeti had many instruments moving with complex rhythms to attain micropolophony. At some points here, you do do that, but I think you could do more of it. The piece itself holds together well, and it's a great exorcise and nice piece. I do think you could have been a bit more experimental with. Complex lines within themselves would have made it somewhat more intriguing.

Good job jaw.

Yes, the complexity of the individual lines could've been better. I agree on that fully. I was just trying it out on this one. So, don't expect it to be as masterful as his!

Good work for experimental purposes. Very entrancing. Although what was said on individual complexity of lines I second. Cool piece though!

Thanks, PF! I'm glad you like the work!

I have to agree and disagree with the comments on the rhythm. Yes, I think you could have done more to avoid a "pulse" in the piece. Your changes in pitch are somewhat amateur in that respect. BUT, the tempo is so slow as it is, and the 5/1 meter in mind, the rhythm isn't exactly a significant factor in the changes occurring. The problem is that there are these odd little emerging ideas that are incredibly square and not very interesting as a result. If you're introducing gestures into the mix, it's a good idea to phase out the micropolyphony. In this experiment, you're treating this as a "style" of composition. It isn't. Micropolyphony is a texture, one of many. If you're exclusively using it, you're completely missing the point of using it in my opinion. Keep in mind that it's a texture, a way of establishing a "space" of sound. Using it like you are, while interesting, is not a composition in my opinion. If you're calling this a piece, you need to factor in the idea that you're using simply one texture and not necessarily attempting to "express" something.

Yeah, it's an experiment. I get it. But you're posting it in the wrong place if you're calling this a complete work. It's not. If I were working with this piece, I'd readdress the squareness of the micropolyphonic texture, I'd take those apparent "random" gestures and do something more significant with them (maybe generate an entire section of material based on those gestures), then perhaps, re-incorporate the micropolyphonic texture over the continued development of those gestures. Otherwise, I think the piece is falling short and not representative of your compositional potential. Spend more time with your ideas, make them do "something" more than simply appearing then disappearing. You have enough material here to make a really long piece of music out of it, but I think you're too occupied with just writing this texture (which is really not a difficult texture to compose, comparatively) instead of writing music. Think beyond the execution of a technique to the full gamut of its implications on what you want to express. Make sense?

Yeah, makes sense. The material I used here is really, really small actually. I didn't even use all the permutations of my row in this at all. I had intended to originally do each permutation and then return to the end. I am going to work on another work for choir that uses something similar to this. I'm not even sure that this can even be called Micropolyphony (especially after viewing the score of Ligeti's work in that vein.)

it look very good ,

You can have different levels of Micropolyphony. It doesn't always require you to have slow, "atmospheric" sounding material. You can have something like that around while other things are going on, too. It's a texture, and as 20th Century composers have done for a while now, textures can be combined as well. Nothing in your work is particularly groundbreaking, basically. You're just scratching the surface of the potential here.

this is a very weird piece ! hehe , very complex , i dont know how did you manage to do it but you did a great job , i did not think that it would sound nice when i looked at the score , but it turned out good . its scary hehe !

This is very interesting, not really tonal, rather consonant.

I only said tonal implications, and then different ones of them 'at once' :)

It felt more grounded to me than the general serial works (if such a thing even exists). With a little fantasy I hear in ms 1 an A moving to a D first minor, then major (2nd beat ms2).

In ms when the cello has the F#, it could be a bitonal chord of D minor with F# major. Anyways :D

I see, interesting. Perhaps subconsciously, this occurred. Interesting catch though Jr. Thanks.

I didn't even use all the permutations of my row in this at all.

Jason, you should know better by now :P Using every permutation of the row? There aren't many composers who do that (it's easier to "develop" material when you work with a subset of permutations), but you certainly can if you want.

I don't have much to say that hasn't already been said about the piece, but I did enjoy it, especially the slow build to more and more extreme dissonance (ending at roughly 4:05). That's an idea that I think you implemented very well, plus the music has good flow/gesture.