Full Moon -- A Prelude

The full moon -- at this time, my father can attest (as he's in the medical business) that people start to act... funny. And I've also noticed that my dreams become exponentially stranger on full moons.I decided to make a piece which reflects the bizarre energy and insanity that stems from the full moon.I hope you enjoy this, this is the most work I've put into a piece so far ^_^ Thoughts/comments/criticisms appreciate =) Thank you!

Full Moon -- A Prelude

Wow this piece is difficult. Most of the time it's difficult, but still very possible to play. But in some bars it becomes unreasonably difficult. The chromatic run at bar 30 is almost impossible at this tempo. The octaves in the left hand at bars 42 - 44 are also very hard. There may be more. I don't think many people would be able to play this at this speed.

But it's actually quite a good composition. You captured the craziness of the full moon. Shouldn't need to have crazy technique to play it.

Very well done! I like the energy, the liveliness, the random "key-resets"...a lot of the energy put into it! Very well done...and it somehow capures the charm of impressionistic french music without dipping too much into the style.

I really liked this. very impressionistic as said before.

I think the likes of Marc-Andre Hamelin could conquer this -- he's done the Alkan Concerto for Solo Piano.

First off, as a pianist, I have to agree with most of Ian and John's comments about the difficulty. Some of these sections I don't even think are possible. The octave - enhanced alberti bass is pretty unpianistic, and maybe even impossible at that tempo. I don't think the tremolos were "too loud and too fast" necessarily. It could be done with proper tremolo technique, as long as the right hand carries most of the volume. The repeated chords at bars 117-118 are faster than I've ever seen any repeated chords of that size. I doubt that they are possible at that tempo, even in the most capable of hands. Not because of the pianists, but because of the piano itself. The action on most pianos isn't responsive enough to handle it. I would like to strongly disagree with John about the glissandi. I know you're going for an insane feel, and the glissandi adds to it, in my opinion. Who are we to say that a composer's work is unmusical? Anyways, aside from the relative impossibility of certain sections of this piece, it's awesome! Haha. I know I just spent a long paragraph ripping on it, but I actually quite enjoyed it. I think it's one of the more interesting and effective works I've heard on the site since I've been back. So in all seriousness, thanks for posting! I think this'll be really a great piano piece once it's fixed up a bit. :D

I'm not a piano player, just work with them. I agree that the chromatic run is definitely unreasonable. And I'd be inclined to agree about the repeated chord issue also being too hard. However, pianists always amaze me with what they can do, so I wouldn't put it past someone to be able to play them. I wouldn't count on it, tho. Serge, ask a kick-butt pianist in your area (one who plays hard gigs for $$$) about those issues. But I suspect from the feedback of pianists here that you'll probably get a nay here.

Direct modulations would fall nicely into the "pop" realm. If the surprise of that type of modulation is what the composer wants, I don't think it's a bad thing. IMHO. :) I can't write 'em.

For me, 9/10 at least.

Serge, my feedback:

First of all, fix the impossible issues. Second, I think this would make a very, very nice closer, opener or first portion closer on a recital. It's exciting, it's fast, it's musically hip, the pianist would look like she's having a ball. However, with that in mind, I think the music lends itself to needing a stronger ending. The last chord isn't doing it for me, it's not final and concluding enough. At the very least, it's gotta be much louder, and perhaps could use some setting up.

Thank you all for your insightful comments :) Indeed, I didn't pay much attention to the playability of the piece, so someday I will revise it and make it so.

I'm also tempted to make an orchestration out of the piece sometime :lol:

dude that's amazing. love the Philip Glassesque feel to the music. I can only imagine how it would sound like if you arranged it for big donkey orchestra

Unemployedcomposer:

Thanks! :D

Wow, someone has definitely began to show signs of growing as a composer. This is an incredible work, Zach - and I will be the first to say that this is perhaps one of your best works to date. I really enjoy this. Thanks for sharing it!

Wow, someone has definitely began to show signs of growing as a composer. This is an incredible work, Zach - and I will be the first to say that this is perhaps one of your best works to date. I really enjoy this. Thanks for sharing it!

Can you play it? I want to hear someone play it. Just gliss through the chromatic runs and it should be fine.

Really I loved it.

(and I get a bit jealous too :lol: )

It reminded Debussy's "Clair de Lune" too with a touch of Beethoven's Romantic fury.

I hope, someday when my technique rises, play this someday ;)

Grettings.

Woodruff:

Wow, thank you...:o You even faved it :blush:

Peter:

Omg, you also favorited my piece! Thanks! :lol:

I'll revise it so that it's more playable some day, because I don't like my pieces to be ridiculously difficult to play.

Silva:

Thank you so much! I'm honored by your comment *_* You also faved it! ... :wacko:

I loved this piece - as I commented on your Youtube, this sounds like it wants to be orchestrated. I would so do the honours if I had the patience... but... I don't. And to be honest, there's not much beneath the surface to this piece, it's pretty empty when you look closely. But the surface... it's brilliant and very energetic and at times furious.

As I was watching the score I noticed... "oh, some of these figurations are similar to how I improvise sometimes". So naturally, after reading the comments, I have to debunk a few. In my opinion, the octave-reinforced arpeggios and alberti bass are nothing. I can handle those just fine at tempo. Similarly, that super fast chromatic run is not difficult at all to play. Because the midi performance is mechanic and perfect and equal and has no rubato, it only sounds impossible. I was able to get all the notes in that bar out of the piano in time - not necessarily in the correct rhythms, but I could fit all the notes in without losing time. The only time I lose is when I have to jump over an octave to prepare for bar 31 with that F# minor arpeggio. Now that jump is a scallop, but with a little "expressive" rubato it's fine. I'll agree that the sixteenths/semiquavers at 118 are completely impossible, but I could pull it off if I skip every other chord. That is, my pinky plays the top notes, and the rest of the fingers of the hand strike the rest of the chord tones on the eighth notes/quavers. This is a reasonable workaround and can be done, but never if the tempo is rushed. It will be messy, not powerful, but I don't think accuracy is your goal here. You just want piano mayhem.

Throughout the rest of the piece I detected nothing impossible, I played a few things here and there that looked shifty and nothing would be impossible with practice (if anything... just a scallop). It can definitely be learned. Now my initial impression and comment to you is starting at bar 10 - that pattern - there is a HUGE gap between the hands. This can sound like rather juvenile writing and you should be careful of that. When lightly written it needs to be done carefully, otherwise there should be more thickness in the right hand/upper register than left hand. At bar 10 you have more thickness in the low left hand and a thin right hand. Can sound ... eh, empty-ish to me.

Enjoyed the piece, looking forward to more!

You can play the piece, James?! Wow, you must be a super-pro piano player...:o

Thanks for your comment :)