Sonata on The Themes of Outer Wilds

Heyo new work just dropped. I've put everything surrounding this piece into the pdf score, or you can just read it in the video description. Which btw, I've finally made my first score scrolling (there's not even scrolling its just a slide show) video! This score took me ages to polish and I'm so happy of how it looked! 

I know it's not the most interesting work texturally, but thematically I think it's fine. And since this work borrowed themes from somewhere else, I've decided to link the original music down below so you can check out the original music and listen to what I've borrowed, I guess.

Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPa8bPqQfmo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z34enKCqRGk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5vG4Be1Ci8

This is so lovely! It blends tonality with some slight atonal/multi-tonal moments, and the strong chordal-marcato passages invoked very colorful programmatic images!

I'm listening to it again tomorrow; and at least a few more times this week. To ingrain its beauty into my head.

Thanks for your inspiration.

On 9/3/2023 at 9:17 AM, ARCMusicPublishings said:

This is so lovely! It blends tonality with some slight atonal/multi-tonal moments, and the strong chordal-marcato passages invoked very colorful programmatic images!

I'm listening to it again tomorrow; and at least a few more times this week. To ingrain its beauty into my head.

Thanks for your inspiration.

 

Sorry for the late reply!

It's interesting that you heard some atonal/multi-tonal moments because I actually think that this is my most tonal work yet lol. Though I guess I could see where that comes from. The development section of this piece has a lot of rapid key changes so there isn't really a tonal center of that section. It is a development section though so it's very unstable in terms of tonality I suppose.

Really appreciate your comments and feedback though, glad you enjoyed it!

Hi @Ferrum,

Sorry for a late reply!

The first section is indeed very coherent with the motives and themes often used. I love the Allegro Vivace section! I feel like it's more free flowing here with some jazzy elements here.

B.99 seems a little bit abrupt for me to reintroduce the opening theme after a very rich texture. The modulation to B major in b.123 is beautiful, but I feel like the transition to it is again a little bit abrupt, and I feel like the octave sign in b.124 is not required. I enjoy the lento affeutoso section very much with the thick texture like late Chopin.

Very nice counterpoint of different themes at the end! And the ending is very satisfying.

Would you provide the analysis of different sections of the Sonata for us?😜 I feel like the materials in different sections are related but do not analyze them thoroughly. (due to laziness!) 

Thx for sharing!!

Henry

13 hours ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

B.99 seems a little bit abrupt for me to reintroduce the opening theme after a very rich texture.

So, the purpose of the transition at B.99 is to contrast B.107. I needed a breather after the rich texture to prepare for a heavy contrapuntal section at B.107, though I definitely could've slowed the rhythm before B.99 for a smooth transition.

13 hours ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

The modulation to B major in b.123 is beautiful, but I feel like the transition to it is again a little bit abrupt

The abruptness of the transition here, at least for me, works because I've imagined it like an abrupt time-stop event to gently move to the Lento Affectuoso section for a reflection. But then again, I could've done it better for a smoother effect.

13 hours ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

I feel like the octave sign in b.124 is not required.

Totally agree. Kinda added in that octave sign to fit the score, but it does look awkward lol

13 hours ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

Would you provide the analysis of different sections of the Sonata for us?😜 I feel like the materials in different sections are related but do not analyze them thoroughly. (due to laziness!) 

Working on it right now, will probably post it tomorrow maybe (it's currently 1 AM), let's hope procrastination won't take over my body lol

Thanks for the review!!!

23 hours ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

the analysis of different sections of the Sonata

Here are the analysis!

Sonata on The Themes of Outer Wilds Analysis

INTRODUCTION (B.1 - B.14)
- B.1 Part of Theme 1, Motif 1 (M1). It would then be divided into many motives and developed as an introduction to the piece.
- B.4 lh is the first 4 notes of M1
- B.5 rh is a development of M1
- B.8 is part of M1 in pentatonic scale on upward motion 

EXPOSITION (B.15 - B. 98)
THEME 1 (G major, B.15-50)
- B.15 Theme 1 (T1) at its fullest, stated in l.h with r.h counterpoint. It is the Outer Wilds OST "Travelers"
- B.23 T1 moves to r.h with full clarity.
- B.26 Motif 2 (M2)
- B.31-34 is a development of M2 for closure. It is also later used as a climax
- B.35 l.h is the last four notes of M2 as an ostinato
- B.37 Motif 4 (M4), later fully introduced on B.63-74
- B.39 Theme 3 (T3) inversion. It is an OST called "End Times", this inverted theme creeps in the whole piece. This theme will be fully introduced in the Lento Affectuoso section uninverted and used as an end theme.
- B.43 Part of Theme 2 (T2)
- B.48 M2
THEME 2 (C major, B.51-98, depiction of a sunrise on the planet Timber Hearth)
- B.51 T2 exposition. It is the OST "Timber Hearth"
- B.53-54 Motif 3 (M3)
- B.63 Motif 4 on rh on its peak
- B.67-69 T3 inversion rearranged. 
- B.63-74 M4 is used as ostinato on lh
- B.79 lh is the first 7 notes of T2 while rh is a development of M3, all of which are used to rise to a much brighter and cheerful T2 at the Giocodamente section.
- B.87-90 is M3
- B.91 rh second voice is M4
- B.91-98 rh is part of M1 that had been stacked together in a pentatonic scale forming a downwards motion.
- B.91-93 lh is T3 inversion
- B.93-98 lh is M4

DEVELOPMENT (B.107-165)
- B.99 a callback and a development of M1
- B.102 T2
- B.103-105 T3 inversion
- B.107-114 contrapuntal section of T1
- B.115-116 T1 developed
- B.117-118 T2 developed
- B.119-120 rh is T2, while lh is the first 4 notes of T1/M1 in variation
- B.121-122 rh is the last part of M1, while lh is playing M3.
- B.123-125 M1 as transition
==================================================
Lento Affectuoso (INVERSION ZONE) (B major, B.126-146)
- B.126-127 T1 inversion as the main melody
- B.129-130 M1 as counterpoint on lh
- B.130-131 T3 inversion
- B.132 M1
- B.134-136 development of M3, with a sotto voce of M1 at B.135
- B.138-140 development of T1 inversion on r.h, while lh is M4 without the first note.
- B.141-143 rh is T2 with different notes but same motion, while lh is fully introducing Theme 3 without the inversion for the first time. (B.142 l.h, first voice is T3 inversion, a response motion to the uninverted T3; B.143 lh is T1 inversion)
- B.144-145 rh is M1 while lh is M1 inversion as counter melody
==================================================
- B.147-155 fast moving development of T1
- B.156-165 development of the INTRODUCTION section, transistion to recap.

RECAPITULATION (G major, B.166-206)
THEME 1 (B.166-178)
- B.166-171 T1 cut short
- B.173 climax from B.31-34
- B.176-177 M2 but doesn't resolve
- B.178-179 M1 developed
- B.180-181 T2 but G minor
- B.182 M3 contrapuntal
THEME 2 (B.183-206)
- B.183-194 T2 but much more calmer, obtaining the same mood as the OST (the OST opens with a free flowing section of a solo guitar)
- B.195-201 is B.79 but much longer, a buildup to Molto Giocodamente

CODA (B.207-233)
- B.207-208 M3 
- B.209-210 M1
- B.211-214 The glorious entrance of the uninverted Theme 3, with a counterpoint of Motif 1 on the lh, signaling the end. B.212 lh is T3 inversion as a response.
- B.215-216 M1 pentatonic
- B.217 T2, B.218 T2 retrograde
- B.219-222 M3, referencing B.87-90 but much heavier.
- B.223-230 is referencing B.91-98, but T3 in the lh is uninverted and resolved.
- B.231-233 M2 resolved with satisfaction

Hi @Ferrum,

Sorry for a late reply (again!), since I got sick this week and can only reply some easier works, but yours certainly need much energy to listen to it especially after your update of the form! I have just relistened to the piece with the formal analysis beside me, and it is indeed very coherent and tight. It's so nice to have fellow composers write so motivically in a similar style I myself doing! Do the appearance of the motives signify something, or only for coherence? Thx for your update of the form very much!

Henry

2 hours ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

Do the appearance of the motives signify something, or only for coherence?

It's a bit of both, really. Motif like M4 is there because it appears on the OST and I want to develop it much further (+I really like the development on the Lento Affectuoso section), M3 is usually for buildups, while M1-M2 signifies the journey that reflects the game. The game that I took the OST from focuses on exploration in different planets of a little solar system different from our solar system, so you could hear parts of that journey in the piece. If you look at T3 (i know I'm talking theme here), it creeps in the shadows of the piece and at the end fully embraces it self. This actually correlates to one important event to the game that kickstarts the protagonist's journey.

It's also for an exercise of how much I could develop motives into coherent sections (and counterpoint exercise).

2 hours ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

Sorry for a late reply (again!)

Hey man, it's alright! I'll always be glad that I got even a review so you can just reply whenever you want!

Wow, what a splendid masterpiece! Although I have never ventured into this compositional style, I enjoyed listening to every part of it. You must have spent a lot of effort blending these thematic materials! For some reason, listening to this piece reminds me of Nikolai Kapustin's preludes. Thank you for sharing this, and you have done a terrific job!

12 hours ago, Carl Koh Wei Hao said:

Wow, what a splendid masterpiece! Although I have never ventured into this compositional style, I enjoyed listening to every part of it. You must have spent a lot of effort blending these thematic materials! For some reason, listening to this piece reminds me of Nikolai Kapustin's preludes. Thank you for sharing this, and you have done a terrific job!

 

I'm glad you enjoyed my work! And yes, it is inspired by Kapustin in some ways. His style is always one of the inspirations of my own work.