Compositions 2007

The Mad Hatter

Hey, I'll be posting up recordings of the pieces I've written this year, as I get them.

First up is a piece called III, for clarinet, cello and piano. This was written for my Masters, as a recording project with the contemporary music ensemble Concorde. I'd been listening to a lot of Shostakovich and Jeff Beal* at the time, and I think both influences show through.

It's performed here by three members of Concorde. All criticism is welcome. Even if you hate it.

Link


P.S. I'm sure someone knows of a better place to host sound files...I'll be setting up a website by the end of the year, but if anyone can give me a better idea where to put it before then, I'd really appreciate it.


*And I strongly recommend checking out some of the free downloads on his site. Much of it is very twee TV-ish stuff, but the soundtrack to Carnivale particularly, and some of Monk, Rome and Pollack are well worth it, as well as being perfectly free and legal.

funky penguin

Listening to it at the moment. I like it so far. Nice interplay between the instruments.

Do you get much of a chance to have your compositions performed?

The Mad Hatter

funky penguin wrote:

Listening to it at the moment. I like it so far. Nice interplay between the instruments.

Do you get much of a chance to have your compositions performed?

I've been fortunate this year in that everything I've written so far has been performed. For the next year or two I'm probably going to be writing for specific performers (friends, co-workers and the like, as well as competitions), as premieres are far more important to me at the moment than profit.

Incidentally, if anyone would like a piece written for them, I'd be more than happy to discuss doing that.

Doshea3

Listened to your piece Bren, liked it a lot. Particularly liked the contrasting moods and the skilfully handled ending (it ended in a way I didn't expect, and could easily have finished with a bland cadence). Nothing very musicologically significant to say at this hour of the day, I'm afraid!

Do post more. I now have an iPod, so when I get it working I'll add you to the list of composers.

The Mad Hatter

Cool, glad you enjoyed it. It pretty much could only have ended one way (the clue's in the title), and I needed something to distinguish it from other tonal endings.

I'll be posting more when I have it (currently waiting on a recording of my piano sonata, trying to rerecord a song I wrote, and seeking permission for a piece for a recording of a piece for three flutes).

Doshea3

Excellent! Can't wait.

And did you say piano sonata? Could you send me the score?

The Mad Hatter

Doshea3 wrote:

Excellent! Can't wait.

And did you say piano sonata? Could you send me the score?

I have some minor editing to do on it first, but PM me your e-mail address and I'll send it on to you when I get a chance.

GerryM

That rapidshare seems a bit involved....since you asked for alternative suggestions, why not post on Soundclick.com...then you can simply play the piece hi or lo-fi, no need for downloading unless you want to.

Here's a piece of mine (not classical - and I'm not looking for any response to it) but just to show how soundclick works in case you don't know it. Just click the link, then hi-fi (or 'lo-fi' if you've dial-up, or indeed 'download MP3' if you want to keep it.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=276561&songID=4124468

Cheers

G

banquo

Gerry, what sample library do you use? Can't quite put my finger on it! The guitar sounds like Realguitar, the strings like Kirk Hunter.

GerryM

Hi Banquo - it's all done on a Roland G 70 workstation - classical music I listen to, but not good enough to compose or play it!

The Mad Hatter

GerryM wrote:

That rapidshare seems a bit involved....since you asked for alternative suggestions, why not post on Soundclick.com...then you can simply play the piece hi or lo-fi, no need for downloading unless you want to.

Here's a piece of mine (not classical - and I'm not looking for any response to it) but just to show how soundclick works in case you don't know it. Just click the link, then hi-fi (or 'lo-fi' if you've dial-up, or indeed 'download MP3' if you want to keep it.

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/songInfo.cfm?bandID=276561&songID=4124468

Cheers

G

Brilliant, thanks. I'll get it off Rapidshare and up on to that now.

Edit: on second thoughts, reading through that license agreement doesn't fill me with happy thoughts. I'll need permission from the performers before I put it up on that scale, I think. Thanks anyway, though.

Pianist2891

I dont think I posted/emailed feedback to this...it was very interesting and had some clearly defined ideas - particularly from about halfway to the end. Just wondering - what do you make of stravinsky, particularly his early period?

Oh, and Bartok!!

banquo

Stravinks rocks! Bartok I don't know much about, but one of my friends raves about her constantly.

The Mad Hatter

Pianist2891 wrote:

I dont think I posted/emailed feedback to this...it was very interesting and had some clearly defined ideas - particularly from about halfway to the end. Just wondering - what do you make of stravinsky, particularly his early period?

Oh, and Bartok!!

Hm...enjoyed Stravinsky's early stuff, and I'm a big fan of the Rite even though it flies in the face of nearly everything I admire in music generally. I love Petroushka and Pulcinella, though.

Bartók I've only started listening to properly in the last few weeks, but I like what I've heard so far.

Why d'you ask?

Hm...funny you say that about 'halfway to the end' - I'm actually not precisely happy with the recap, and I think I'm gonna rework it when I get a chance.

Pianist2891

Its interesting that to me, the halfway point - end sounded more convincing! Wonderful playing as well!

I asked RE stravinsky and Bartok because at times I felt I was listening to a very unusual sort of mix between the two composers - its even more interesting that you actually are not that influenced by Stravinsky, or familier enough with Bartok, but since I am a huge fan of early Stravinsky, and quite a lot of Bartok, and familier with both composers, they were the two striking things that jumped into my head.

Bartok particularly from about 5 mins to 5.45, and again towards the end (i think around 7 mins or thereabouts). Personal opinion I guess, as for Stravinsky, the overall feel of it is very much early stravinsky (really dislike his later works!), particularly the bi-tonal interplay between instruments (whether you're consciously writing bi-tonal music or not I don't know).

All said and done, I know how irritating it is when someone comments on your music and calls it this and that, and in fact, you've only just written what you think sounds good, so analysis aside, it was very enjoyable to listen to!!

Oh and it is quite refreshing to hear contemporary music that doesn't always sound like 100 grand pianos being hurled down a flight of stairs...

Doshea3

Seconding Karishmeh's comment, it is indeed heartening to hear contemporary music which challenges the status quo that modern music must be fiercely dissonant to be original.

The Mad Hatter

Pianist2891 wrote:

Its interesting that to me, the halfway point - end sounded more convincing! Wonderful playing as well!

I asked RE stravinsky and Bartok because at times I felt I was listening to a very unusual sort of mix between the two composers - its even more interesting that you actually are not that influenced by Stravinsky, or familier enough with Bartok, but since I am a huge fan of early Stravinsky, and quite a lot of Bartok, and familier with both composers, they were the two striking things that jumped into my head.

Bartok particularly from about 5 mins to 5.45, and again towards the end (i think around 7 mins or thereabouts). Personal opinion I guess, as for Stravinsky, the overall feel of it is very much early stravinsky (really dislike his later works!), particularly the bi-tonal interplay between instruments (whether you're consciously writing bi-tonal music or not I don't know).

Mm...well, I like more or less everything from the halfway point to...er...about the end of the second adagio section, but I'm not entirely sure about the recap - it's a bit too much a direct quote of the exposition for me.

The conscious influences, I'd say, were more Shostakovich and Prokofiev (actually, the structure was almost ripped wholesale off Shostakovich, but it sorta took on a life of its own after a while...). I've relistened to the sections you were talking about...actually the 5-5.45 came about on its own from an effect using the middle pedal. As far as I know, I'm the first to use this:D

As to the bi-tonal interplay - I really had no idea. It's odd, though, because I'm deliberately writing bi-tonal music now, and that piece was written rather deliberately in A flat major.

All said and done, I know how irritating it is when someone comments on your music and calls it this and that, and in fact, you've only just written what you think sounds good, so analysis aside, it was very enjoyable to listen to!!

Hehe, thanks! That's the most important part!
(Also, I don't mind being told that I sound like musicians I haven't listened to - it just tells me what I should get into next!)

Oh and it is quite refreshing to hear contemporary music that doesn't always sound like 100 grand pianos being hurled down a flight of stairs...

I actually burst out laughing when I read this - can I quote you in my sig?

Edit: This reply is waaaay too long...

Pianist2891

I had a really witty and clever response typed out, all music related and what not. But I took a sip of my tea, and it tastes like soup and in sheer disgust I slammed the laptop shut.

So now I have nothing interesting to add, because it will sound odd and contrived. cursed tea.


Edited to add: It tasTED like soup. Both the tea and the tea cup are in the sink! That'll teach 'em.

Doshea3

LOL, Pianist2891.

Nothing like a bad cup of tea to put you in a foul mood!

banquo

Or marmite. It never falls below a temperature of 8 million degrees C. One sip followed by two fun weeks of picking dead skin off your gums.

funky penguin

The Mad Hatter wrote:

I actually burst out laughing when I read this - can I quote you in my sig?

I agree! Quote of the year so far!

The Mad Hatter

Hey guys, thanks a lot for the replies so far. I really appreciate you all listening to it.

I want to ask a favour, though. Would you mind telling me what you don't like about the piece? Anything bug you, or that you thought didn't work?