Saul's Music Space

[(poco) Sforzando]

From someone who conceived the worst viola sonata ever.

I think you should clean up your backyard before you tell me to do so.

You know, if anyone were to say anything similar to you, there would be all kinds of whooping and hollering, bolstered by any number of quotes from the experts at YouTube to prove that Saul is right and everyone else is wrong. The fact is that Karl writes very ably and has produced a mature and distinctive piece, not the least of whose virtues is that he understands the nature of the viola and never writes multiple-stops that the instrument cannot play. Clean your own backyard.

[Saul]

You know, if anyone were to say anything similar to you, there would be all kinds of whooping and hollering, bolstered by any number of quotes from the experts at YouTube to prove that Saul is right and everyone else is wrong. The fact is that Karl writes very ably and has produced a mature and distinctive piece, not the least of whose virtues is that he understands the nature of the viola and never writes multiple-stops that the instrument cannot play. Clean your own backyard.

His Viola piece is the worst ever.

And he did say worse things, and no one had said a thing to stop him, so what's your thing? You believe that his work is beyond critisizm just because he happened to write it correctly?


Correct music can be ugly too.

[(poco) Sforzando]

His Viola piece is the worst ever.

And he did say worse things, and no one had said a thing to stop him, so what's your thing? You believe that his work is beyond critisizm just because he happened to write it correctly?


Correct music can be ugly too.

Yes, we know. Karl did this, Karl did that. Karl is the source of all evil in this world. How does all this whining about Karl help you become a better composer?

[Saul]

Yes, we know. Karl did this, Karl did that. Karl is the source of all evil in this world. How does all this whining about Karl help you become a better composer?

No one is whining, I'm responding to your accusations.

And can I hear your name?

[(poco) Sforzando]

And can I hear your name?

No.

[Saul]

No.

Ok Mr. No

[Scarpia]

I find it Bizarre that Saul's self-promotion consistently elicits the same reaction from multiple participants on multiple web sites over years, and he attributes this to everyone and everything but himself.   

[Saul]

I find it Bizarre that Saul's self-promotion consistently elicits the same reaction from multiple participants on multiple web sites over years, and he attributes this to everyone and everything but himself.   

Becasue people are full of hate.

I never had any problem on CMG and Talkclassical about my music, its only here, cause some people here are full of hate.

If you don't like my music, don't post here, as simple as that.

[greg]

Lol, Mirror Image and Saul are like two kindergarteners playing in a sandbox and throwing sand in each other's faces.

Really, though, the suggestion of "being much more critical of yourself" is an excellent suggestion for Saul. If you're not going to have a teacher, you have to set your standards high. Write stuff that is comparable to Mendelssohn. You do have a good piece here and there on this thread, but it seems like there is so much on here which isn't well thought out and just thrown together.

[Philoctetes]

First, I would say your piece is in C# minor rather than E. But other than that, just a comment on your violin writing. You can pretty much count on a violin to be able to play most successions of single notes, so probably nothing here is literally impossible for the instrument. But you are apparently attempting the kinds of arpeggios where the bow rocks across and back the four strings while the fingers remain immobile, and here your violin writing is, frankly, clueless. You are hearing the sound of a violin in your head, but you are writing as a pianist.

For example, your measure 5 can be played on some combination of the G, D, and A strings, but is impossible across the four strings. Bar 15 can only be played on the G and D. But when writing triple and quadruple stops for a violin you have to think positionally, and what looks impossible for a pianist may be perfectly idiomatic for the string player and vice versa. For example, a C major chord with G below middle C, E just above, C a sixth above that, and E a third above (top line before the ledger lines) is very awkward for a pianist to play with one hand, and as easy as can be for the violinist to play in first position.

You really need to get a fingering and position chart for the violin, and test each of your combinations in order to lay them out in the most idiomatic way for the instrument. Adler's book on orchestration also lays out a wide variety of possible combinations for quadruple stops.

Just thought a super legit post should be highlighted.

[Philoctetes]

I find it Bizarre that Saul's self-promotion consistently elicits the same reaction from multiple participants on multiple web sites over years, and he attributes this to everyone and everything but himself.   

Well that is what history points out, a conspiracy against the Jews (although, weren't they part of the conspiracy?).

[Scarpia]

Becasue people are full of hate.

You couldn't have illustrated my point more succinctly.   

[Saul]

Well that is what history points out, a conspiracy against the Jews (although, weren't they part of the conspiracy?).

What does this have to do with religion?

Some people here attacked others here who have a different religion. It has nothing to do with Jews or Christians, but pure hate for another person's achievement, progress or success.
You try to run him over, and put him down, and this has been done to others besides me.

[Scarpia]

Some people here attacked others here who have a different religion. It has nothing to do with Jews or Christians, but pure hate for another person's achievement, progress or success.
You try to run him over, and put him down, and this has been done to others besides me.

You posted music for cello and for violin which called for double stops that are physically impossible on those instruments.  When this was pointed out you naturally chose to interpret this a jealousy over your achievement rather than an attempt to help you correct your error.  Why?  If you had accepted people's well intentioned advice in a good natured way, rather than with accusations that they are jealous of your superiority, you might find yourself on friendly terms with at least someone on this board.  Do you really think that a person not even familiar enough with the violin to know which double stops are possible and which are not has nothing to learn from other experienced musicians and composers?

 

[Saul]

You posted music for cello and for violin which called for double stops that are physically impossible on those instruments.  When this was pointed out you naturally chose to interpret this a jealousy over your achievement rather than an attempt to help you correct your error.  Why?  If you had accepted people's well intentioned advice in a good natured way, rather than with accusations that they are jealous of your superiority, you might find yourself on friendly terms with at least someone on this board.  Do you really think that a person not even familiar enough with the violin to know which double stops are possible and which are not has nothing to learn from other experienced musicians and composers?

I thought that I agreed with those points, not every composer knows anything about everything, its a life long study.
But to come here and to look for :"Hey you see I told you"! Attitude which many at times is infused with a measure of superiority and arrogance, is not accepted by me.
I want to hear people who actually have feelings here, and not some nameless professors who are 'doing me a favor'. I don't need favors, I want people to treat me with minimum of respect and dignity, I think this should be natural.

But why should they treat me with dignity, isn't this a prime rib, the essence , the ramp to where they could bolster and magnify their supreme genius on other people's account?
If I wasn't successful until now on a grand genius famous scale, so too others here who claim to be great self proclaimed gifts to humanity and the music world.

What have you done?

What have you all accomplished here besides holding on this site for hours on top of hours?

The truth is that if you had really made it in the music world, you wouldn't even bother talking to me or wasting so much time here. So none of you are all that great.
So stop talking to me from a position of superiority.

That last fellow wont even tell me his name, this is extremely offensive, yet he expects me to follow his lead like a good student follows a professor.

Well I wont, I don't bow down to any human being.

[Scarpia]

That last fellow wont even tell me his name, this is extremely offensive, yet he expects me to follow his lead like a good student follows a professor.

Well I wont, I don't bow down to any human being.

You're going to leave those incorrect double-stops in to spite the person who pointed them out?  You are only hurting yourself that way.

The fact that you refuse to take advice only creates the impression that you lack self-assurance.

[Saul]

You're going to leave those incorrect double-stops in to spite the person who pointed them out?  You are only hurting yourself that way.

The fact that you refuse to take advice only creates the impression that you lack self-assurance.

No , I said that I will fix those, go back and do some reading, youre missing some info.

[karlhenning]

That's right, Saul! You are a YouTube god, no human could possibly teach you anything! Don't stop believing! Hold on to that feeling!

[karlhenning]

Yeah, I'm ignorant for thinking that you would actually learn from your mistakes, but alas, you continue to make one notation mistake after another.

Saul is just such a pioneer, traditional notation is too small for his musical genius! He doodles, and God's holy angels bill and coo at the result! It is only our unworthiness which misleads us into the vain fantasy that Saul has made mistakes.

[karlhenning]

From someone who conceived the worst viola sonata ever.

Saul, we have seen the e-mail you received via YouTube, so we take it as read that you are a great composer, who writes beautiful music.

I really could not take it upon myself to criticize anything that so great a composer has to say. And yet, while I have not the wit to discern just where it may be, I feel that there is some small mistake, somewhere, in your remark that my viola sonata is the worst ever.

Now, I know, I know, no human being can teach you anything, and so I must hope that one of God's angels will inspire you to discover the truth of the matter.  But I consider the following points:

1. My viola sonata was actually performed, in public. Offhand, I don't know whose the "worst viola sonata ever" might be, but it seems to me that a piece which was actually performed successfully to an audience, could not be that viola sonata.

2. The violist for whom I wrote the piece, failed to consider it "worst viola sonata ever." In fact, he wants to come to Boston to play it here.

3. The pianist — who we might almost expect to be partially disinclined to the piece, for it poses some technical difficulty — thinks well of the piece. That doesn't sound like the "worst viola sonata ever."

4. The violist's teacher is considering playing the piece. I cannot think that he would do any such thing if it were the "worst viola sonata ever."

5. The violist's dad liked the piece.  I know, it would have meant so much more if the piece were on YouTube, and if I had gotten such a response via e-mail, but I work with what I've got.

6. The violinist who (as it happened) turned pages for the pianist said of the piece, "It was awesome!"

It seems to me that any honest musician must consider that such a response from fellow musicians (yes, the violist's dad is a musician, too) could not possibly sustain the assertion that my Opus 102 is the "worst viola sonata ever."

And yet, how clear it is to all of us that no human being can teach you anything, and that none of us has any authority to correct you!  So I dare not even entertain the dark thought that you wrote something false, but that there must be some mistake somewhere, and in my musical unworthiness, I simply fail to understand you correctly.