Vivification

A short piece (or study) for solo Piano, with emphasis on continuous development. As a result of this, is through-composed, developing harmonic, melodic and rhythmic ideas continuously throughout. Very minimalist-inspired.

Vivification

It needs to continue a lot longer. It sounds like you just through on an ending there, and it's awkward. Most of these little sections you have could be developed a lot more, for 2 to 3 times as long as you have here, or longer.

Again with the pop stuff! Even if you don't see it, it's totally there. It's kinda great how this piece is right in the crack between a more minimalist sound (though not that minimal), and a more pop sound. And it kinda gives a little more of one and then a little more of the other, it could really be developed, and it would be awesome if it just evolved right into a jazz/soul-like section for a while. You really have a lot to work with here which could be developed much further.

You should check out Totalist music (if you haven't already) by people like Mikel Rouse and Kyle Gann. Also Post-Minimalism, John Adams, Louis Andriessen (you might not be as into this one at first). The kind of stuff you're doing is totally right out of those two schools (at least the two pieces I've heard so far are). Don't listen to Phillip Glass, his music is crap.

I'm a big John Adams fan... his work is brilliant (you'll notice he's in my favourite composers list hehe). In that respect, I do prefer post-minimalist music to the likes of Glass and Reich. I'm gonna go check out Totalism in a second, sounds exciting! Thanks for all the comments, I'll bear it all in mind next time I start writing something like this.

Dude, I like your stuff.

Minimalism is all about tiny (tiny) developments over long periods of time. I think you could insert each change much, much more gradually in this piece, like at a third of the rate you did it. There are enough and they are aethetically cool enough to where a lot of people who may not appreciate minimalism would still dig it even at the typical minimalism pace.

And I second the consideration of a contrasting section after you've fully established your first idea. It sounded like once you did that (way too quickly), you hinted at a new thought brewing and then quit.

And yes, I liked the "pop" sound. :sith:

Cool, thanks Peter! A few years ago I wrote a couple of longer minimalist pieces... around 6-7 minutes for larger ensembles, with much slower and more minimal development. I think with this piece I didn't really want to go for that, I wanted to develop the ideas continuously in a more fluid manner. The idea that it is continuously developing, for me, is quite different to the (arguably) more static development of traditional minimalism in which something will repeat itself many times before it changes at all. However, I completely agree that it could continue further, and that perhaps I do hint at ideas earlier on that don't get developed as thoroughly as one might want them to. Thanks for the tips, and light saber!

I'll have to second what has been said, first of all. I definitely get some post-minimalist feelings from this, although they aren't very strong. There is a hint of pop, but I like it nonetheless, I hear a bit of jazz in there as well. Bringing the length of the piece up would be a good idea... I found it enjoyable overall. I don't get why there is so much Philip Glass hate going on, though. It's certainly not ear-splitting.

I'm sticking with the jazz ideas as mentioned above. It especially sounds as if it's going to take off into a huge jazz composition right at measure 33. Just something to think about. Other than that it's not bad. Just seems like it may take a little more development and clear direction as to where each phrase is heading.