Rhythm and games May 6, 2010

[furtwaengler]

SUMMER! Start the diversions!

This was an end of the semester celebratory romp after finishing all those juries, which were actually moved back because of that flood. The situation left that Yamaha on the stage sticky, water logged and in an, uh, unique tuning. This was all humidity which did this. The building was not flooded, but my were the instruments effected! Well, included in all of this was a sticking B-flat, which I had a great deal of fun with. In fact it was an exploratory experience with stiffness and tuning and everything. The piano has never felt or sounded this way. This is what comes out. 

But I think I stated somewhere else that when I'm happy I get rhythmic, and this is that. Do to phone calls (and some badly butchered quotations of some real music I didn't want you to hear  ) I broke this into three sections, an overture, followed by two more. In the middle one there's a section which reminds me of Britten, and gives me great joy. It is all joyous.

I hope you get some joy, and are entertained by the poky, humorous exploits.

Too many words!

Music!

[rachfan]

Hi Dave,

There is certainly a wide ranging exploration of rhythmic possibilities in this set.  The "Overture" has much energy and drive and certainly commands attention.  The "Games" takes the form of an improvised Toccata in my opinion, and a very good one at that.  The "Fifths" is just a bit more melodic and whimsical I think.  I would almost be tempted to use the "Fifths" as the middle piece and to end with with the toccata-like "Games".  This set has a contemporary sound, but one that's different too.  Thanks for sharing it!

David

[furtwaengler]

Hi David,

Thanks for coming by the improvisation board; I've noticed you've been commenting recently. I went back and listened to the improvisation you uploaded celebrating the new board (like a ceremonial ribbon cutting), and am just blown away, both by the music which is laid back, warmly lyrical (but so cool!), and has a jazzy feel to it - Well it has form even, and a very prominent melody - and I'm blown away by the modesty of your presenting it! Well, you may not have thought yourself good at improvisation, but anything you set your hands on is going to be good music! It's just who you are!

Ah well, thanks for the comments on mine. I posted them in the order they happened and didn't really think of the working as a set. It was sort of a, "Hey, I like this..." cut, cut upload, sort of thing (which I do far to often). But yes to toccatas. I should write...I have written a toccata, a movement in a piano sonata from the year 2000, which could mostly be scrapped, save the toccata as an interesting stand alone piece. I had performed it publicly a few times, including a time its terrible difficulty threw me for a loop as I lost my reference point on a 97 key Bösendorfer Imperial! Ugh...It was a demanding piece, but is not intact at the moment. I never committed it to Finale are anything, and the manuscript has pages missing. But that has nothing to do with this! It's just a reminiscence of the time I did write a toccata. 

(I might need someone to guide me through octatonic withdrawal.)

Dave   

[pianowolfi]

Ouch! Octatonic withdrawal sounds painful!   Why withdrawal?

I sense a certain tension between 6 and 7 and between 7 and 8. But I'm not so experienced at numerology, just caught a clue here and there, every once in a while...

I have listened, and enjoyed it very much! I just have nothing particular wise to say at the moment  

Any chance to hear that toccata sometime?

[furtwaengler]

Ouch! Octatonic withdrawal sounds painful!   Why withdrawal?

I sense a certain tension between 6 and 7 and between 7 and 8. But I'm not so experienced at numerology, just caught a clue here and there, every once in a while...

I have listened, and enjoyed it very much! I just have nothing particular wise to say at the moment  

Any chance to hear that toccata sometime?

Octatonic withdrawal is painful, and it is because I am self critical of my constant use of the octatonic scale, which has been for years and years, ever since my favorite teacher introduced me to Messiaen's Vingt Regards. I took it and never looked back. I am posting a sample of early sense of discovery (this is 10-12 years old) with this scale, an experiment I now call THE OCTAGON!

I'm sorry I don't know what you mean with 6 and 7 and 7 and 8...you mean in the scale?

I would put the toccata together, but what I have, and I have it right in front of me, is the manuscript, pages 1, 2, 5, 6 and 7. I don't remember what is on those missing pages as it's been a few years, and I composed it away from the instrument...and I didn't memorize MY OWN music even for those performances. I have the first movement complete, but it is structurally so disjointed I don't know what's the use. 'Tis old news. Maybe someday I'll compose again...it is a hard, hard thing.

Dave

[pianowolfi]

I love 20 regards. They're one of those sets of pieces which are almost too close to me... Though I wasn't aware of that octatonic scale yet.

Regarding the numbers, well yes I sense a certain tension between 6 and 7 and 8 (1) in the diatonic scale.

Anyway, the octagon rules! Why would you need a withdrawal?
It's a part of your musical language

[rachfan]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for those kudos on my improvisation!  The only thing is, it might be a bit too long.  Also, where it has a neo-romantic sound, probably many improvisers would want it banned.  It was fun though.  I'd try some more improvs, but my problem is one of way too limited access to the piano.  So with my Catoire survey, every second of my practice time has to count for the good.  I deeply concentrate only on that.  Maybe someday if I find myself "in between composers", I'll try my hand at it again.

I had to smile at your Borsendorfer story.  Remember when the extended keyboard first came out and pianists were getting disoriented while playing, similar to your experience?  Afterward they introduced a bass keyboard cover extending the visual appearance of the left keyboard block and covering the extra keys.  Well, a pianist I know recently was visiting a teacher who has both a Borsendorfer Imperial and a Baldwin SD10 (also 9').  My friend prefers Baldwin, but decided to play the Borsendorfer that day.  Turns out that the teacher always leaves the bass cover for the extra keys in a drawer somewhere.  So almost immediately my friend was disoriented.  And the only known remedy is octotonal withdrawal which was not available as an antidote at that moment.  

Again, I enjoyed hearing this improv.

David

[furtwaengler]

Thanks David, Your Catoire project is producing much fruit. I tried what I had of that old toccata, and it's disorienting on any piano!