Moment Musical in A-flat major

This Moment Musical in A-flat major is the second piece of the four pieces I intend to write for relaxation after finishing the very heavy String Sextet. As the title suggests, I only want to achieve Schubertian simplicity with some contemplation here. The result is somewhat a bit beautiful and contemplative for me.

Here is the YT link and pdf for you:

5-4-2025 Moment Musical in A flat Major.pdf

This piece is the opposite with the Intermezzo in A, the first piece of the set, as it uses the theme from the 1st movement of my First Piano Sonata and the key and texture of the 1st movement of my Second Piano Sonata. The recording and this video is again made in a rush so the quality may not be good. Hope you enjoy this little piece!

Here is the previous Intermezzo from the same set:

Henry

I love these little pieces you're writing. I think it shows an abundance of craftsmanship with how quickly you're writing AND performing these for us. This reminds me a little of Schubert, but done in your own way to call it your own. Well done Henry!

I am not very familiar with Schubert's specific style. But this musical moment does take me back to that pure romantic period without the later great development.
I like the contrast between the almost choral part and the rest, which has a melody that has stayed with me.
I also like the chromatic bass in some measures, as a cadenza (measure 2, 7, etc). Although the one in measure 13 sounds stranger to me, perhaps because the chord is left in suspense, and resolves into something more unexpected. Something that I think is frequent in these composers.

A beautiful piece
Greetings.

Schubert is the answer! (no, really, literally it is there)

I understand bars 35-42 is meant to be a hybrid first theme/bridge, personally I feel like the piece could use more of a cadence in the new key instead of repeating the 4 bar phrase an octave higher.

Let me see if I can arrange the piece for pipe organ, at least the choral part.

Kia ora Henry,

I quite like the contrast between the 4/4 sections and the 12/8 sections in this piece. However, as I mentioned on Discord, the recording has room for improvement; you said it was recorded in a rush and it kind of shows. Regardless, like the intermezzo, I think this is a very lovely piece.

Ngā mihi,

Archie

Edited August 6, 20251 yr by expert21

Hi @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu!

What a beauty!  My favorite parts are:

1. The V/vi in measure 13 which doesn't go to vi but instead segues back into V.
2. The false recapitulation in Ab minor in measure 26.

Things I think you could improve on:

• In measure 30 you seem to rush through the grand pause into the next phrase.  But I think what makes such a grand pause like this more effective is allowing the silence and waiting period to really sink in and to do it with more metronomic accuracy.  Also, perhaps the figure in measure 29 could be repeated an octave higher after the pause before going back to the recap of the main theme proper.
• Your harmonic progressions are pretty smooth but very based in common practice.  I just felt like the piece could have been more adventurous.  Like even though you visit foreign tonal centers in your piece, you do so through very familiar and predictable means.  It would be so refreshing to hear you modulate to a new key without using a typical sounding secondary dominant or secondary diminished chord.  Perhaps experiment more with secondary augmented 6th chords?  Or use more line cliches and chromatic passing chords or chromatic mediants?

Nonetheless, I think you did achieve your goals of taking a sort of musical holiday after writing your sextet.  Thanks for sharing!

Yo Vince!

On 4/6/2025 at 1:06 PM, Thatguy v2.0 said:

I love these little pieces you're writing. I think it shows an abundance of craftsmanship with how quickly you're writing AND performing these for us. This reminds me a little of Schubert, but done in your own way to call it your own. Well done Henry!

Thx! Just hurry in a rush to finish this since I was busy yesterday haha! I would wanna write simpler pieces after the Sextet, since I know now that music doesn't have to be complex all the time.

Henry

Hi @Luis Hernández!

21 hours ago, Luis Hernández said:

I am not very familiar with Schubert's specific style. But this musical moment does take me back to that pure romantic period without the later great development.
I like the contrast between the almost choral part and the rest, which has a melody that has stayed with me.
I also like the chromatic bass in some measures, as a cadenza (measure 2, 7, etc). Although the one in measure 13 sounds stranger to me, perhaps because the chord is left in suspense, and resolves into something more unexpected. Something that I think is frequent in these composers.

Thank you! I like both the choral part and the rest parts haha!

For b.13 I might have actually take the treatment of chords in Bach's chorale, since he sometimes just ends a phrase on a dom.7 chord or something. Thx for listening and commenting!

Henry

Hi @PCC!

17 hours ago, PCC said:

Schubert is the answer! (no, really, literally it is there)

I understand bars 35-42 is meant to be a hybrid first theme/bridge, personally I feel like the piece could use more of a cadence in the new key instead of repeating the 4 bar phrase an octave higher.

Let me see if I can arrange the piece for pipe organ, at least the choral part.

For me b.35-42 is itself a contrasting theme but it comes from the reharmonization of the phrase b.10-17, because I just don't wanna repeat without some variations. I wanna keep the piece really simple so maybe I don't invite more keys that I should but I'm quite happy with the final product myself haha.

It would be wonderful if you arrange the piece for pipe organ! Thx for listening and commenting!

Henry

Hey My Arjuna,

6 hours ago, expert21 said:

I quite like the contrast between the 4/4 sections and the 12/8 sections in this piece. However, as I mentioned on Discord, the recording has room for improvement; you said it was recorded in a rush and it kind of shows. Regardless, like the intermezzo, I think this is a very lovely piece.

Thx! It IS made in a rush haha, and I wanna stop the children in the other rooms playing lolololol! The piano itself is not clear enough and my phone is as always, crappy and full of tears lol!

Henry

Hey Peter!

1 hour ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

What a beauty!  My favorite parts are:

1. The V/vi in measure 13 which doesn't go to vi but instead segues back into V.
2. The false recapitulation in Ab minor in measure 26.

Yeah for 1. I think I take it from Haydn because he always does that in the retransition to recapitulation, finishing on V/vi and then go straight to I. For 2. it's random thought haha, given my reputation as a random composer lol!

1 hour ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

Things I think you could improve on:

• In measure 30 you seem to rush through the grand pause into the next phrase.  But I think what makes such a grand pause like this more effective is allowing the silence and waiting period to really sink in and to do it with more metronomic accuracy.  Also, perhaps the figure in measure 29 could be repeated an octave higher after the pause before going back to the recap of the main theme proper.
• Your harmonic progressions are pretty smooth but very based in common practice.  I just felt like the piece could have been more adventurous.  Like even though you visit foreign tonal centers in your piece, you do so through very familiar and predictable means.  It would be so refreshing to hear you modulate to a new key without using a typical sounding secondary dominant or secondary diminished chord.  Perhaps experiment more with secondary augmented 6th chords?  Or use more line cliches and chromatic passing chords or chromatic mediants?

For me I treat b.26-34 as the reappearence of the original theme b.1-9, only changing the first half of the phrase an octave lower and into minor. Also, given my reputation as a composer who loves to use random pauses, I won't let anything to unrandomized my pauses!

Yeah the 2nd point is legitimate. For me I just wanna keep everything simplest but at the same time maintain some interest, so I didn't modulate to another key or using augmented six chord. I use bunches of secondary augmented six chords and Nepolitan sixth chords in my ( ) piano piece already so I don't use them here haha, since I don't wanna increase the drama here!

1 hour ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

Nonetheless, I think you did achieve your goals of taking a sort of musical holiday after writing your sextet.  Thanks for sharing!

Give poor Henry a break!

Henry

Hello Henry,

A very Schubertian piece you have here, with effective shifts between different textures and meters. Lots of smooth voice leading in your chorale too, though I detect a few parallel octaves in the inner voice, which is unimportant in the bigger picture. I see you are quoting the theme from your 1st "pastoral" sonata, are these two pieces (intermezzo and musical moment) suppose to be a summary of your old style?

I don't think you are striving for too much originality here, but I do hope you translate the originality you've achieved in your sextet into your smaller pieces. That way, you will be able to build a style that is recognizable across many genres. 

On 4/6/2025 at 8:17 PM, PCC said:

Schubert is the answer! (no, really, literally it is there)

I understand bars 35-42 is meant to be a hybrid first theme/bridge, personally I feel like the piece could use more of a cadence in the new key instead of repeating the 4 bar phrase an octave higher.

Let me see if I can arrange the piece for pipe organ, at least the choral part.

 

Here you go. I have some Easter eggs in the arrangement of the piece. See if you guys can find them.

Hi all, I'm overjoyed to share a recording of this plece played by my dear friend @Vasilis Michael !

He completely captures the calmness and serenity of the piece with many details, and he plays the piece better than I do, and he understands the piece more than I do, and he excavated something from the piece I don't. What an honor to have such a great friend playing this great recording of my piece!! Thank you Vasilis!

Henry

10 minutes ago, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

Hi all, I'm overjoyed to share a recording of this plece played by my dear friend @Vasilis Michael !

He completely captures the calmness and serenity of the piece with many details, and he plays the piece better than I do, and he understands the piece more than I do, and he excavated something from the piece I don't. What an honor to have such a great friend playing this great recording of my piece!! Thank you Vasilis!

Henry

My dear Henry, I am truly touched by your beautiful words and by this lovely gesture! ❤️ It is such a joy and an honour to have the opportunity to share your music with others.

There is something profoundly moving about this particular piece, something that touches both of us so deeply. Perhaps it is because it carries within it a glimpse of Schubert’s world — that delicate mixture of tenderness, longing, nostalgia and quiet melancholy that speaks directly to the heart. It feels as though a little fragment of that beautiful Schubertian universe has found its way into your music. And I think this is something we both feel and cherish so deeply.

The more I explored your composition, the more little details and emotions I discovered within it. I believe that when we truly connect with a piece of music, we can sometimes reveal things that perhaps even surprise its own creator. But all this beauty comes from you and your wonderful musical imagination!

Thank you, dear friend, not only for your beautiful music but also for your kindness, generosity and friendship. I feel very fortunate to have met you through music. Sending you my warmest wishes and a big hug! ❤️

Nice,

I listened to both. I think I prefer your version Vasilis.

I don't know why, but measure 15/55 sound off to me. Measure 55, more than measure 15. I was wondering why and thus looked a bit closer at the sheet music. Perhaps it's because you usually change the chords around for the 1-2-3 (quarter/quarter/half), set up...but on measure 15 and 55...you skip that pattern and simply go for a pure repeat of the chords with no variation. It's like my brain is expecting it to have a slight Schubertian change in the chord, but it doesn't happen.

I don't know that this is necessarily a bad thing, but something that stood out...a little bit when I listened. Since you are obviously a talented composer, I thought that I'd be a bit more nitpicky than usual with my feedback. Hope it helps in some way.

Loved it overall. Classical music lives on!

3 hours ago, Grant Weep said:

Nice,

I listened to both. I think I prefer your version Vasilis.

I don't know why, but measure 15/55 sound off to me. Measure 55, more than measure 15. I was wondering why and thus looked a bit closer at the sheet music. Perhaps it's because you usually change the chords around for the 1-2-3 (quarter/quarter/half), set up...but on measure 15 and 55...you skip that pattern and simply go for a pure repeat of the chords with no variation. It's like my brain is expecting it to have a slight Schubertian change in the chord, but it doesn't happen.

I don't know that this is necessarily a bad thing, but something that stood out...a little bit when I listened. Since you are obviously a talented composer, I thought that I'd be a bit more nitpicky than usual with my feedback. Hope it helps in some way.

Loved it overall. Classical music lives on!

Thank you so much for your wonderful words, my dear friend! I truly appreciate your kindness and the time you took to listen so carefully and share your thoughts. I would also like to make clear that my intention was never to create any kind of comparison between Henry and myself. Quite the opposite! My only wish was to serve this beautiful piece as best I could and bring out as much of its beauty and musical expression as possible. It was a genuine pleasure and privilege to perform it.

Thank you once again for your lovely words and your friendship. It means a lot to me!

I can see a lovely collaboration here!

I enjoyed it. I didn't check this piece of yours, Henry, but it sounds awesome. I love your performance too, by the way.

And... Vasilis — your interpretation is right in the middle. Your touch and Pianoteq make a wonderful, gentle atmosphere. I don't know why, but when I listen to your playing, I feel warm vibes like autumn colors or something like that.

Hey Henry, this piece is now under Mr. Vasilis Michael's magic, huh!? Beautiful, both of you guys!

Please feed me such stuff if you guys have an opportunity in the future 😊

Best,

Lithl.

Edited 26 minutes ago26 min by Lithl

Hi @Grant Weep !

10 hours ago, Grant Weep said:

I listened to both. I think I prefer your version Vasilis.

You should, I agree that Vasilis’s version is much better than mine!😄

10 hours ago, Grant Weep said:

I don't know why, but measure 15/55 sound off to me. Measure 55, more than measure 15. I was wondering why and thus looked a bit closer at the sheet music. Perhaps it's because you usually change the chords around for the 1-2-3 (quarter/quarter/half), set up...but on measure 15 and 55...you skip that pattern and simply go for a pure repeat of the chords with no variation. It's like my brain is expecting it to have a slight Schubertian change in the chord, but it doesn't happen.

I think it’s just our different stylistic choice. For this whole piece I didn’t think much and just let the music grow itself. I could have changed the 1st and 2nd crotchet with different thickness though I didn’t haha!

10 hours ago, Grant Weep said:

Since you are obviously a talented composer, I thought that I'd be a bit more nitpicky than usual with my feedback. Hope it helps in some way.

Haha that’s a REAL BIG compliment from you! Please keep giving me constructive criticism haha! Thank you!

Henry

4 minutes ago, Lithl said:

can see a lovely collaboration here!

I enjoyed it. I didn't check this piece of yours, Henry, but it sounds awesome. I love your performance too, by the way.

And... Vasilis — your interpretation is right in the middle. Your touch and Pianoteq make a wonderful, gentle atmosphere. I don't know why, but when I listen to your playing, I feel warm vibes like autumn colors or something like that.

Hey Henry, this piece is now under Mr. Vasilis Michael's magic, huh!? Beautiful, both of you guys!

Please feed me such stuff if you guys have an opportunity 😊

To tell you the truth, I don’t love this piece that much until Vasilis played it. To me I only wrote it in 2 days and hence not much emotion with it (not like my Sextet or Quintet when I wrote them for years hence have a lot of emotions towards them), but Vasilis excavated the essence of my piece out, plus his own interpretation of the piece. Big thx to him! And a thx to you for loving the piece!

Henry

15 hours ago, Vasilis Michael said:

My dear Henry, I am truly touched by your beautiful words and by this lovely gesture! ❤️ It is such a joy and an honour to have the opportunity to share your music with others.

You are so lovely Vasilis! Thx to you I met new ppl in your channel!

15 hours ago, Vasilis Michael said:

There is something profoundly moving about this particular piece, something that touches both of us so deeply. Perhaps it is because it carries within it a glimpse of Schubert’s world — that delicate mixture of tenderness, longing, nostalgia and quiet melancholy that speaks directly to the heart. It feels as though a little fragment of that beautiful Schubertian universe has found its way into your music. And I think this is something we both feel and cherish so deeply.

To me I wrote it and conceive the piece really as a “Musical Moment”, which means I never thought deeply in how to develop the piece or so, but only get directly from my heart to write what I want. Maybe those emotions are long stored in me and I just took them out in this piece. My writing motto is simple: Be honest.

15 hours ago, Vasilis Michael said:

The more I explored your composition, the more little details and emotions I discovered within it. I believe that when we truly connect with a piece of music, we can sometimes reveal things that perhaps even surprise its own creator. But all this beauty comes from you and your wonderful musical imagination!

By listening your playing I know we are connected. If we aren’t you won’t play this great. Maybe the beauty is hidden in the piece, but it’s you who excavate them out! You for sure love the piece more than I did!!

7 hours ago, Vasilis Michael said:

I would also like to make clear that my intention was never to create any kind of comparison between Henry and myself. Quite the opposite! My only wish was to serve this beautiful piece as best I could and bring out as much of its beauty and musical expression as possible. It was a genuine pleasure and privilege to perform it.

Nah you have to admit that your playing is better! 🤩 But thx for enjoying playing the piece, it makes me feel happy and honoured!

15 hours ago, Vasilis Michael said:

Thank you, dear friend, not only for your beautiful music but also for your kindness, generosity and friendship. I feel very fortunate to have met you through music. Sending you my warmest wishes and a big hug! ❤️

❤️

Henry

26 minutes ago, Lithl said:

I can see a lovely collaboration here!

I enjoyed it. I didn't check this piece of yours, Henry, but it sounds awesome. I love your performance too, by the way.

And... Vasilis — your interpretation is right in the middle. Your touch and Pianoteq make a wonderful, gentle atmosphere. I don't know why, but when I listen to your playing, I feel warm vibes like autumn colors or something like that.

Hey Henry, this piece is now under Mr. Vasilis Michael's magic, huh!? Beautiful, both of you guys!

Please feed me such stuff if you guys have an opportunity in the future 😊

Best,

Lithl.

My dear friend, indeed, this collaboration was a dream come true. It was an enormous honour and joy for me. And, as always, I want to thank you for your support and your wonderful words. May you always be well, my dear friend!