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Topic: My Sonata No. 1 - Movement IV  (Read 1445 times)

Offline xdjuicebox

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My Sonata No. 1 - Movement IV
on: November 28, 2017, 06:57:12 AM
It's been a while since I've posted here, but...

So here's a recording I did today at my friend's house, who was nice enough to let me use his piano. This is part of my portfolio for a Masters in Composition, but I thought I'd share it here haha.

This is my Sonata No. 1, composed in no key. The idea was to combine all of the different harmonic languages I'd studied the past 2 years, along with my own "brand" of tonality.

The reason only the fourth movement is here is because I'm too suck to play the other 3 as of right now lol. But eventually I hope to be able to!

Some day, I'm going to go to an actual studio and record a better version of this where I don't mess up as much, but ya know...the deadline is this Friday LOL. Oh well. Tragedy.

Please let me know your thoughts.
I am trying to become Franz Liszt. Trying. And failing.

Offline klavieronin

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Re: My Sonata No. 1 - Movement IV
Reply #1 on: November 28, 2017, 07:56:39 AM
That's brilliant! Any chance of posting the score?

Offline xdjuicebox

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Re: My Sonata No. 1 - Movement IV
Reply #2 on: November 28, 2017, 08:08:07 AM
That's brilliant! Any chance of posting the score?

Thanks so much! I'm still editing it - I'm terrible at engraving haha, but I just added a beta version to the main post
I am trying to become Franz Liszt. Trying. And failing.

Offline mjames

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Re: My Sonata No. 1 - Movement IV
Reply #3 on: November 28, 2017, 03:49:47 PM
Not the first time you've posted a well crafted composition, and damn this one's better than the last one. Bravo.

The climax is really beautiful. Just curious, how did you go about composing this? Also want to know how you went about developing your own style, I bet Vers la flamme was involved.  ;) Again nice stuff.

Offline xdjuicebox

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Re: My Sonata No. 1 - Movement IV
Reply #4 on: November 29, 2017, 09:02:11 PM
Thanks mjames!

It's kind of weird, I started by emulating my favorite composers (Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, Chopin, ma boi Shostakovich, and to some degree Liszt), and kind of breaking down their harmonic techniques, and finding out what I liked so much about it.

I then tried to break down how chords "worked" (for which I have somewhat of a very non-sound theory haha), so I build my chords, completely outside of traditional tonal/atonal systems, based on a system that I developed (which is essentially voice leading, but "cautions" instead of "rules" like hey, parallel fifths sound like this just so you know but you can use them if you really want).

I then write a fat stack of chords, and then slowly convert them into pianistic gestures.

The concept/architecture of the piece I kind of develop in my head during long walks around the neighborhood. (I look kinda creepy when it's cold because I have my hood up LOL)
I am trying to become Franz Liszt. Trying. And failing.

Offline tenk

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Re: My Sonata No. 1 - Movement IV
Reply #5 on: November 30, 2017, 05:53:12 PM
Thanks for posting this and kudos to you for posting an original composition.

To me, it definitely has some nice moments (like ~2:00) that I would've preferred to hear further developed. However, it sounds more like a collection of atonal improvisations strung together rather than a movement of a sonata.

While I realize you aren't going for a strict sonata form, I can't really find a motif to follow and therefore lose the sense of time and position when listening to it. Having left it on repeat for the last 20 minutes or so, I can't really tell when the piece has started over, or for instance if I didn't look at the timestamp I couldn't say, "the piece is coming to an end" or "this is the middle section".

That being said, of course not every sonata has to sound the same, just my 2c  :)

Offline xdjuicebox

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Re: My Sonata No. 1 - Movement IV
Reply #6 on: December 01, 2017, 05:09:51 AM
Thanks for posting this and kudos to you for posting an original composition.

To me, it definitely has some nice moments (like ~2:00) that I would've preferred to hear further developed. However, it sounds more like a collection of atonal improvisations strung together rather than a movement of a sonata.

While I realize you aren't going for a strict sonata form, I can't really find a motif to follow and therefore lose the sense of time and position when listening to it. Having left it on repeat for the last 20 minutes or so, I can't really tell when the piece has started over, or for instance if I didn't look at the timestamp I couldn't say, "the piece is coming to an end" or "this is the middle section".

That being said, of course not every sonata has to sound the same, just my 2c  :)

Hello, tenk, and thank you for the valuable feedback!

I'm actually very surprised, since there are three main motifs that are cycled between the different parts - this is something I'm actually very interested in (in terms of musical cognition): I've noticed motifs become more difficult to identify when the music becomes more and more atonal...

...that and I never state them in the same key (with one exception), and the textures are almost unrecognizable. Hmmm...I'll think about that.

Once again, thanks!
I am trying to become Franz Liszt. Trying. And failing.

Offline klavieronin

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Re: My Sonata No. 1 - Movement IV
Reply #7 on: December 01, 2017, 05:35:47 AM
I did get a bit of a collage vibe from the movement but that's one of the things I liked about it. And I did hear those motifs weaving in and out throughout the movement (especially 'La Plus Que Lente') and I liked the subtle ways in which they were varied.
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