Nocturne in C Major No.2 c. 1850 (Student Piece #5)

UPDATE 9-30-23:     UPLOADED GARRITAN  Yamaha "CFX Lite" grand piano "CRYSTAL" mic/studio.  Deleted older files.  Corrections made to score, revised finish to better reflect my intentions regarding ritardanos.

      Definitely a deeper sample, much clearer/crisper.    I like the damper effects.    Still learning the player interface--something like 20 different studio mic/piano arrangements in the library.  This one is very close to VSL's D-274.

   Just completed the companion piece to the Nocturne in G minor.   This is my second solo piano piece.

  The goal was to use a different ostinato left hand accompaniment figure, create a bright piece with a different overall feel.

   I consciously used the little neighboring tone moment in the main theme as a thematic element.    You can hear it in the minor key B section as a lead-in note, and in the appogiaturas throughout. It seems to work, and knits the piece together.

  The main theme seem to be a rather prosaic boiler plate romantic song,   but is saved from  banality by the NEOPOLITCAN CHORD and the closing phrase.  This "hook" gets elaborated on as the piece progresses.

   I dedicated this Neopolitan chord to Henry, who suggested it for the first nocturne..  I do listen, it just takes a bit to assimilate.  I like it, but it is very "spicy" and I think it needs to be used with great discretion!      It really helps to give interest here and a novel twist.

   The c.1850 time frame I've assigned is based on the departure from standard John Field-type nocture style and inserting a somewhat dramatic, somber minor key episode.    This would be expected in a slightly later time frame, with Schumann, Berlioz, and Liszt's progressive works starting to become mainstream.  

  That said, it reminds me of late Schubert.

         The idea came from watching  Khatia B.  using some hand crossing, and I thought it looked very dramatic.  How could I use it in my piece?  How do I notate it? Whic hand does what?  is it difficult?    Turns out it is sort of a cheap Jedi mind-trick, and not too difficult.   I assign the right hand the ostinato PPP pulse accompaniment, and the left has a bass melody/motifs and the hand crossing high ornaments.

     The thematic neighboring tone motif and the ostinato tie it in with the main body, and I worked EXTREMELY HARD on the transitions!!  turns out everything had to be EXACT--CHORDS, RHYTHM, AND LEADING TONES.  

    I spent a LOT OF TIME on getting a correct performance.  The messy score is a product of using a second channel for the bass cleff staff, in order to properly assign two dynamic markings (It works, found the hack online).    I absolutely needed a pianissimo right hand for the minor key B section.  As such, the intent is to have the listener lean in...

   I work at a major university, and am starting to mull  having an actual masters level piano student workshop the two nocturnes with me for playability, issues, notation.   We will see.  I figure I can't afford a $200k music education, but I can swing 4 or 5 hours of musician hourly time....  it would be very useful.   Print Music really had a hard time with the last ritardando, and I struggled to get clarity and correct tempo, so this is a compromise. A real pianist would have no problem--- for example. [CORRECTED THIS IN VERSION A1--CLOSER TO MY INTENT]

    The deck is cleared to the Piano Quartet Allegro.   Following that, I would like to do an Arabesque or Fanstasy for piano, and extend my education some more...

   Anyhow,  I like the piece.  I learned a ton.   Please feel free to comment.

Hey @Rich,

Thx for your nice words!

I certainly like this one more than the last one! This one is more colorful for me with the use of different harmonic chords and mood change. I love your usage of F minor, the minor subdominant throughout the piece, and that Ab-G# enharmonic relationship is crucial to your work since you choose A minor as the contrasting key and the G# act as a leading tone A minor.

On 8/17/2023 at 7:39 AM, Rich said:

and I worked EXTREMELY HARD on the transitions!!  turns out everything had to be EXACT--CHORDS, RHYTHM, AND LEADING TONES.  

I really see this in your score. I particularly like b.64-66 since the retransition is great, with the third inversion of the dom7 chord adding some uncertainty back to the tonic.

I like the Neapolitan chord, but for b.12 (and similar places) I may go for a F-Eb-Db melody in the Rh to be more fluent. It's intersting that you include a second inversion of the Neapolitan chord in b.38. I actually like the bassline Ab-B which add some uneasiness to the apparently serene music!

Beware of the enharmonics in b.17! You should use exclusively G# there.

For the right hand melody in b.28, I may go for a E-F instead of Eb-F at the end of the coloratura since it fits more in the context of a G7 chord.

For b.50 LH you may just divide the F and D to two voices and make it tider!

I like this piece. Thx for sharing!

Henry

On 8/18/2023 at 12:22 AM, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

I like the Neapolitan chord, but for b.12 (and similar places) I may go for a F-Eb-Db melody in the Rh to be more fluent. It's intersting that you include a second inversion of the Neapolitan chord in b.38. I actually like the bassline Ab-B which add some uneasiness to the apparently serene music!

   Thank you Henry for your review and the time you took-- it is very, very helpful.  VERY.

        I made all the changes you recommended but one:  the Eb in the N chord!      I tried, I really did, but I like the e nat.   I want a little dissonance/jaggedness here, and I realize  this is THE SAME INTERVAL as the opening neighboring tone motif!    The  E-F minor interval just seems to work- at least for me.  I do think its a preference here.  I do hear what you are refering to.

   The second N chord is of course a codetta phrase ending the A section--and at the conclusion.

    I made another stab at slowing down the ending, and made some progress by faking out Print Music with rests in the 2nd register--allowing me to place more rit. symbols where I wanted them.  Better.  Not perfect.  It looks ridiculous, and I will need to make a performance score if I workshop it.

  Also added an ornament or two, and some dynamic changes--nothing major.   

  I want to point put the WEIRD RUBATO in the transition back to major key at bar 65--This is Human playback-romantic style gone ROGUE!   Mr. Roboto has lost his mind a bit here, as this NEEDS to be ON THE BEAT.  Maddening considering how hard I worked.  I tried to soften it with different phase marking, but only marginally successful.  

   I like 90% of what humna playback does--the rubato, the swells in the left hand, but this is definitely TOO MUCH!.

   Thank you again.  I'm learning and it is thanks to feedback such as yours.    Even if not used, it makes me think, and consider for future work.

I don't have much to add to what Henry said, but just wanted to let you know that I listened to this and enjoyed it.  The only part I personally found a bit weaker than the rest was the beginning of the section at m. 42, where for a few measures the slow harmonic rhythm and lack of a clear melody made it sound a little static for my taste.  But this might well be something that would come off better with a human performer.  Thanks for sharing!

5 hours ago, Aiwendil said:

I don't have much to add to what Henry said, but just wanted to let you know that I listened to this and enjoyed it.  The only part I personally found a bit weaker than the rest was the beginning of the section at m. 42, where for a few measures the slow harmonic rhythm and lack of a clear melody made it sound a little static for my taste.  But this might well be something that would come off better with a human performer.  Thanks for sharing!

        Aiwendil--

   Thank you for the listen.  I am glad you liked the piece.

    The two risky parts of this piece are the sort of static first portion of the A section, and the entire handling of the B section.  That section is not in character for a straight up John Field style nocturne, but introduces the sort of romantic susbstitutions/variations that would occur later.

  I agree that there is a meaure or so of the B section things are dicey as far as listener attention. The hope is the brief and effective transition (I think) to the minor and the new PP pulse will hold the attention as this halting, doubting melody slowly spins itself out.  My intention is *literally* for the audience to lean forward/in to the low key drama.

   I think you are right in that this is a performer's piece to win the crowd of perish in ignomy.     It can either start as some "elevator music" with aspirations, or come off as a a restrained but well proportioned romantic theme.  The minor key section can be a high tension, challenging shift of mood, or a SNOOZE FEST.

   I think the VST rendering does a decent job of establishing the basic idea, but it will need a capable performer.  So yeah, you nailed the key moment when it can all go to pieces.

  I was thinking if there was a narrative for this piece it might be:

A:    The lovers meet, bliss!   Walks in the rain, talking, eating, more eating....etc...

B:  The crisis!!!    Parental meddling, another man pursing the lady....a lovers quarrel...How will it resolve...the pulse is the ticking of the clock--- looming despair, waiting...

A1:  Oh joy, oh raputure!  Love wins through!   th elovers unite, big finish, yadda, yadda...

  It really sort of works this way, I think...

Thank you again.   I'm gonna try something new and less structured next time....

.

38 minutes ago, 44W74l4 said:

I really enjoyed listening to this piece 🙂

I'll look forward to your next compositions

-Aaron