Pas seul - Intermezzo

I wrote a ballet a few years back! Notes aren't too hard since it would've had to been prepared pretty quickly, but I've always been more about screwing around with rhythm and meter, anyway. Forgive the recording quality: I had to make to scratch tracks and I only play cello, so I had to record all the parts except the bass and piano (except the plucking) 😅

Maybe I'll upload the other movements later, but this one is pretty interesting on its own, I think. 

Hi @Monarcheon!

Thx for coming back to the forum! We all miss your valuable and detailed insights to our music.

As for your music here, I really enjoy it.

On 10/27/2025 at 6:19 AM, Monarcheon said:

but I've always been more about screwing around with rhythm and meter, anyway.

I absolutely agree with you: the rhythm is so unpredictably flowing with all your use of changing meters, which suggests itself really well as a ballet music. The usage of the rhythmic motive is very organized throughout the whole work.

The harmony here actually reminds me of something oriental or Arabic. I really love moments in b.20-21 and b.27-28 when you introduce high register violin writing there, when the register in most of the piece is more in middle/low register, and I hope there's more of that! 

I also love the use of strings techniques in b.40 section; the sul ponticello tremolo is very effective for the strings, and contrast well with the static note B when there are furious C and A# neighbours. I love the pluck string piano sound in b.52 too, though I would feel bad for the piano if it's played live! A nice ending as well which dies away as it begins.

Thx for sharing your music to us!

Henry

The harmony and colours I get from this are gorgeous (bar 12 tickles my brain, but all the movements from chord to chord are exquisite), as well as the appearance and disappearance and reappearance of that 'swinging-pendulum' motif, as Henry pointed out.  I'm getting extra ideas for what other textures to put in my slow movements with what you've presented in b. 40 🙂, and I have to say that the piano strings from b. 52 onwards are an excellent touch.

Seeing that this is just an intermezzo, I'm sure the other movements are just as interesting! I wonder how this fits into the ballet...