Metamorphosis

Hey everyone!

Happy to share my finished piece - Metamorphosis!

I'd love to hear any and all feedback 😁

Metamorphosis - (Score).pdf

This is a massive improvement from your other versions of this theme. Honestly, I can't believe this is the same piece you've been working on, it's the same theme, but an utter transformation. Apparently this also works very well as a string quintet! Your themes are beautiful and memorable, and the harmonization is gorgeous. I can seriously sit down and listen to this a few times in order to learn from your work. This version just goes to show how good structure and a good recording can completely transform the same melody (something I've been trying to tell you for awhile). Your key changing is also really well done.

Honestly I feel like you made a massive leap from the previous version(s) to this version. Whatever happened, something must have clicked!

1 hour ago, chopin said:

This is a massive improvement from your other versions of this theme. Honestly, I can't believe this is the same piece you've been working on, it's the same theme, but an utter transformation.

Thank you thank you thank you!!

After getting feedback, I went and reread some Caplin, and brushed up on my counterpoint a little bit and chord voicings. I played with the idea of a core in the developmental section (C section), and a dominant pedal, all that fun stuff.

1 hour ago, chopin said:

Your themes are beautiful and memorable, and the harmonization is gorgeous. I can seriously sit down and listen to this a few times in order to learn from your work.

WOW - that means a LOT. Wow. Thank you so much.

I really wanted to push myself as a composer and really just commit to the material I had, and instead of scrapping it, repurpose it and find a way to improve on it and make it work. I am very pleased with the end result.

Hey @BlackkBeethoven !

Glad to hear this piece finally in its finished form! There are many idiosyncrasies in the piece that are characteristically you. Your strongest writing is during the chorale-like hymn sections, first in F major and then in Eb major, a tritone away from your original key of A major. One of the unusual things that make the piece unique is some of the 7 measure phrases that make the melody almost feel like a run-on sentence. Like in the very beginning, the first phrase is a 7 measure phrase. That might perhaps be due to an elision with the beginning of the following phrase. The following two phrases seem to both be 9 measure phrases. However, you do make it work somehow.

The modulations also ended up working. While following along with the score I thought I saw/heard something objectionable in the modulations. But that impression disappeared when I just let myself listen.

Some of the quick sextuplets/flourishes in the Violins weren't quite audible in this rendition. I know that in Musescore Studio those kinds of things can sometimes be fixed by putting in staccatissimo markings on all the notes. Thanks for sharing and congratulations on finishing it!

First of all, thank you @PeterthePapercomPoser for your review. I have learned so much from you, and your feedback is greatly appreciated!

19 hours ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

There are many idiosyncrasies in the piece that are characteristically you

Hope that's a compliment 😆, but I agree. That's actually something I noted in my program notes. The title is (and by extension, the piece), symbolic of my growth as a composer. Most of my early compositions were just SATB pieces, before branching off to explore writing for instrumental ensembles.

The corral sections are some of the material I feel most personally connected to in the peace, and that style of writing comes very naturally to me. I wanted the B section to feel more "grounded", hence why both the A and B section are in meters that are "equal", but 3/4 feels more grounded here, as opposed to the more waltz like 6/8 theme. And I think it provides a nice contrast to the material it is surrounded by. The return of the chorale character later in the piece is so far removed from the chaotic C section material that preceded it, but now develops into something different.

19 hours ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

One of the unusual things that make the piece unique is some of the 7 measure phrases that make the melody almost feel like a run-on sentence. Like in the very beginning, the first phrase is a 7 measure phrase. That might perhaps be due to an elision with the beginning of the following phrase. The following two phrases seem to both be 9 measure phrases. However, you do make it work somehow.

😅 This is actually one of the things that bugs me about the piece and certainly proved to be a challenge. My theory professor loves teaching form, but I also decided to skip a lot of class around the time that unit was covered 😆, so I've never felt too too confident in my knowledge of form. And I saw the holes from the beginning, but in that mindset of just wanting to push through and finish, I tried to think of ways to make it work. And I think it turned out alright.

19 hours ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

The modulations also ended up working. While following along with the score I thought I saw/heard something objectionable in the modulations. But that impression disappeared when I just let myself listen.

I'm glad the modulations ultimately worked for you, but I would still like to hear what you thought sounded objectionable 👀

19 hours ago, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

Some of the quick sextuplets/flourishes in the Violins weren't quite audible in this rendition.

I agree, when listening in Finale, they're more audible, but the playback is also horrible so 😬. I'm hoping to get this performed by an ensemble at school, so that's something that I will be sure to communicate to the performers.

Thanks again!!