My first piano sonata

[andrevharen]

Hello all.
Recently I finished my first piano sonata, dedicated to my daughter, and recorded it little by little, something that took me a long time. I would love to hear your comments on it and maybe there is a good pianist out there who would like to take it into his own piano repertoire; that would be a great reward for me!

you can have a look at the sheet music and listen to the recordings here:
https://www1.andrevanharen.com/pianosonatano1.htm

best wishes,
Andreas van Haren,
Sweden

[pianowolfi]

I am listening to the first movement right now and I enjoy it very much, it's very passionate music and, as far as I can hear, a perfect composition. 

Second mvt. I like very much It sounds classical-romantic, and very personal, and your daughter must be very happy to have a daddy who plays music like this for her A very touching piece

[goldentone]

I enjoyed your sonata very much, Andreas.  My favorites are the 2nd and 4th movements.   

[cz4p32]

Well i found the sonata quite nice.  It was great to hear a modern composer write something so classical-romantic in style.  Keep up  the composing!

[andrevharen]

Well i found the sonata quite nice.  It was great to hear a modern composer write something so classical-romantic in style.  Keep up  the composing!

Thanks! I know I'm a little bit out of time, but I never loved the real modern music so much, I think there is still room these days for newly composed romantic music.

[Derek]

andrevharen,

I really liked this sonata, particularly the lyrical second movement. I agree that there is still room for new romantic music. There's still room for all kinds of music, and in my opinion there always will be. I don't understand those who believe that the grand masters of tonal western classical music "discovered everything." If they mean they discovered all of the harmonies that are most closely related to a seven tone scale, then okay. But that's like saying they discovered all the colors of the rainbow.  How those colors are arranged in a composition is infinite. It'd be like saying that some modern painter wasn't original because he used the color red, which had been used all throughout the renaissance, and beyond. What a silly thing to say, right?  Welp, just wanted to say that to support your view, and good job on your sonata.

[andrevharen]

Hi Derek, I'm glad to hear that you like it. My wife of course loves it... but it's nice to hear that music lovers like it as well, while knowing that it is the style of music that is written long time ago. I heard so much modern music during my conservatory time written by composition students and could never understand how to listen to it and how to enjoy it. The best thing to do is, I believe, just to write what ever you feel inspired to write and not think: am I modern enough?

[mattgreenecomposer]

Let me first say that you are very talented.  I enjoyed your sonata (I've only listened and followed the score to the first movement) but as a composer here are my thoughts andre....

I like your motive but I feel like it is repeated too often throughout the piece> The 16th notes on beat 3 don't need to be there every time in the exposition and the Recapitulation.  You could get the "perpetual motion" by varying it up in a  different voice by making them in  a series of 2 beats-perhaps starting on beat 2 or something instead (making 8, 16th notes total).  What Im getting at here is rhythmic variety.
I felt like the development section had this much  more and it was really the most exciting part of the piece for me. Like mm18 and 19 have a nice run of eigth notes which is such a release to me.
Measures 60- 63 WoW!!! that part is HOT HOT HOT! Well done!  I'm almost skeptical to ask if you stole it from Brahms b/c the progression looks really "Brahmsian Bb piano concerto" familiar but Bravo!
Also why Db in the 2nd half of Exposition? Not Ab, just curious?
and finally what does this piece try to convey? of course this is the most important question right, after all this is music.  Good Job.  I look forward to analyzing the other movements.  If you want, I will post feedback
M

[andrevharen]

Let me first say that you are very talented.  I enjoyed your sonata (I've only listened and followed the score to the first movement) but as a composer here are my thoughts andre....

I like your motive but I feel like it is repeated too often throughout the piece> The 16th notes on beat 3 don't need to be there every time in the exposition and the Recapitulation.  You could get the "perpetual motion" by varying it up in a  different voice by making them in  a series of 2 beats-perhaps starting on beat 2 or something instead (making 8, 16th notes total).  What Im getting at here is rhythmic variety.
I felt like the development section had this much  more and it was really the most exciting part of the piece for me. Like mm18 and 19 have a nice run of eigth notes which is such a release to me.
Measures 60- 63 WoW!!! that part is HOT HOT HOT! Well done!  I'm almost skeptical to ask if you stole it from Brahms b/c the progression looks really "Brahmsian Bb piano concerto" familiar but Bravo!
Also why Db in the 2nd half of Exposition? Not Ab, just curious?
and finally what does this piece try to convey? of course this is the most important question right, after all this is music.  Good Job.  I look forward to analyzing the other movements.  If you want, I will post feedback
M

Hi!
Nope, I didn't took if from Brahms but I know that some parts of this movement has a flavor of some of the romantic, like Grieg.  Glad to hear that you like it so much! Db instead of Ab because I didn't want to go into that exact form of the classical sonata form that says otherwise, and went down to the lower 3th instead. This also gave me a more relaxed feeling that fits in my mind more to a second softer theme: down instead of  up. And convey? Not sure if I understand your question. What I want to say here? I could give answers like anger, eagerness, but I am not consious of those things while writing. Whatever I write, it has to excite me, then I know that I am on the correct track.

And yes, I love to have your feedback on the other movements!

greetings,
Andreas