Improv Sonata

[quantum]

I recorded this on June 16, 2005.  There is some sort of narrative, so you may wish to listen to the movements in order. 

Please post comments.  What was good, what could have been done better, what you though of when you heard it, etc. 

I'll post what I was thinking after a couple of people have replied, so not to ruin you initial imipressions. 

Improv Sonata in 4 movements - by me. 
Piano: Yamaha C3
Mic: computer mic
Method: direct to computer

[quantum]

Mvt. 2

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Mvt. 3

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Mvt. 4

[ted]

I must confess to a certain inadequacy in creating and listening to larger forms. Additionally, the term "sonata" has come to mean all sorts of things ranging from a highly organised, self-referencing form to simply a title for an arbitrary piece of any type. Therefore I am more or less forced to hear it as four separate pieces, although I am certain a unity of purpose exists for you.

In this sense I found the second movement and its insistent three note motif,  the most successful of the four. For some reason, probably certain of the figurations, I found it hard not to be reminded of Hawthorne from the Ives Concord. The first movement has a particularly intriguing "egg shape", going from sparse texture to dense and back to sparse.

Movements three and four did not capture me quite as readily because I had more difficulty finding something to hang on to. I don't doubt it is there but somebody like me, not so quick on the uptake, probably needs three or four listenings.

As I say, in plan, if not in detail, the work reminds me a lot of the Concord - triadic harmonies in the third movement and so on. Of course this observation may not be at all relevant to your programme, if indeed such exists. Nonetheless, the playing has imagination. The question is whether a rigid structure such as a sonata, improvised or composed, provides you with the best outlet for it.

[quantum]

Well, first of all thanks for taking the time to listen.  I originially intended to put the events of a certain day of my life into music.  It was never really intended to be a multi-movement work but while improvising the 1st movement it worked so well as a unit that adding more material would take away from it's integrity.

1st movement is based on a single theme, with minimal "accompaniment" material and more focusing on fugato and contrapuntal techniques.  This somewhat "academic" approach did have some associations to meaning.  Interesting how you refered to it's "egg shape" I never really though of it that way but it's a great description.  I did want to give some idea of playing with the density of the sound, so I'm glad that came through.

The 2nd movement, I have to agree was the most successful of the four.  I wanted to do something that suggested agitation, restlessness, and some amount of anger.  I originally wanted to do something with a diminished chord, but it quickly tuned into a restless arpeggio  and effective accompaniment to the 3 note motif that sort of just poped up. 

The 3rd movement was supposed to be very happy and bubbly.  Some sort of a pseudo-scherzo. It didn't work out exactly as I thought, as I was unsure of how exactly to develop the thematic material. 

4th movement was intended to start small and get very large.  Small snippets of the 3 previous movements are heard at the beginning.  The very scerene feeling of the beginning is supposed to turn in to very grand and festive feeling.