Greetings

[StevenOBrien]

Greetings! I've been told to make a post here to introduce myself.

My name is Steven O'Brien, I'm 18 years old, and I'm from Ireland. With regards to music, I like to consider myself a composer (http://soundcloud.com/stevenobrien/), and a terrible pianist ^_^'. I'm unemployed, unschooled, and currently looking into making a living as a freelance composer, possibly by scoring video games and short films, and hopefully even securing a few commissions and performances of my work someday. Right now, I primarily make money through web design and programming, but I hope to give that up completely one day, I loathe it . I'm also an avid minecraft player... (Wow, I live a boring life).

My favorite composers are Mozart, Chopin and Beethoven. I look forward to hanging around this forum more!

-Steve

[bhodges]

Hi again, Steve, and another welcome. Good luck with your career change, and meanwhile, lots of fans of Mozart, Chopin and Beethoven here. Have a good time!

--Bruce

[Karl Henning]

Welcome, Steve!

[Lisztianwagner]

Welcome on the forum and have a nice time here!
I think we could get on well, I'm a pianist too. So glad you like Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin, they are some of my favourite composers as well! Maybe do you also like Wagner? Someone else will certainly ask you if you appreciate Mahler.

Ilaria

[madaboutmahler]

Someone else will certainly ask you if you appreciate Mahler.

And that will be me, I do hope you like Mahler!

Hello, Steve, from a fellow teenage composer! Welcome to GMG!

Shall make sure to listen some of your works you posted on the composing thread at some point. My composing thread is 'Hogan's Home' by the way.

Hope you have a nice evening,
Daniel

[mc ukrneal]

Welcome and enjoy!

[StevenOBrien]

Thanks everyone for your kind words!

Welcome on the forum, have a nice time here!
So glad you like Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin, they are some of my favourite composers as well! Maybe do you also like Wagner? Someone else will certainly ask you if you appreciate Mahler.

Ilaria

Thanks! I'm trying to get into Wagner. I greatly enjoy his music when it's "summarized" by being split up, and right now I'm trying to figure out how to enjoy his music as a whole. I know that there's something there to be gotten out of it, I just haven't found it. I must shamefully admit, I tried to sit down and listen to Tristan und Isolde recently, and I ended up falling asleep about 40 minutes in. 

Mahler on the other hand, I really enjoy a lot of his music, but he's not "everything" to me as the three composers I listed are. His symphonies are there for me to enjoy, but they doesn't absorb me like a Mozart or Beethoven symphony does.

[Mirror Image]

Welcome aboard, Steven! We need more Irish people here. I think the only one here who's Irish is Conor71. Anyway, I listened to one of your works called Withdrawal Symptoms which is an enjoyable work and I heard a definite Minimalism influence there. Have you been exposed to this genre of classical music prior to composing that work?

Anyway, I'm mostly into 20th Century composers, so if you enjoy Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Ravel, Bartok, or Stravinsky we'll definitely get along very well.

[Karl Henning]

He likes Mozart and Chopin, John. In other words, he's got taste ; )

[Karl Henning]

Fair disclosure: I like Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Ravel, Bartok and Stravinsky, too : )

[StevenOBrien]

Welcome aboard, Steven! We need more Irish people here. I think the only one here who's Irish is Conor71. Anyway, I listened to one of your works called Withdrawal Symptoms which is an enjoyable work and I heard a definite Minimalism influence there. Have you been exposed to this genre of classical music prior to composing that work?

Anyway, I'm mostly into 20th Century composers, so if you enjoy Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Ravel, Bartok, or Stravinsky we'll definitely get along very well.

An old work, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I had just discovered John Adams back then and was starting to appreciate Philip Glass a lot. It was more of a passing phase though, my style currently seems to be influenced more by classicism and romanticism.

I like all of the composers you mention, except Bartok, who I've never been able to get into . Any recommendations?

[Mirror Image]

He likes Mozart and Chopin, John. In other words, he's got taste ; )

[Karl Henning]

I like all of the composers you mention, except Bartok, who I've never been able to get into . Any recommendations?

Have you given the Second Piano Concerto a try yet, Steven?

[Mirror Image]

An old work, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I had just discovered John Adams back then and was starting to appreciate Philip Glass a lot. It was more of a passing phase though, my style currently seems to be influenced more by classicism and romanticism.

I like all of the composers you mention, except Bartok, who I've never been able to get into . Any recommendations?

Well before giving recommendations for any of Bartok's music, I have to ask: what have you heard?

[Lisztianwagner]

Thanks everyone for your kind words!
Thanks! I'm trying to get into Wagner. I greatly enjoy his music when it's "summarized" by being split up, and right now I'm trying to figure out how to enjoy his music as a whole. I know that there's something there to be gotten out of it, I just haven't found it. I must shamefully admit, I tried to sit down and listen to Tristan und Isolde recently, and I ended up falling asleep about 40 minutes in. 

Mahler on the other hand, I really enjoy a lot of his music, but he's not "everything" to me as the three composers I listed are. His symphonies are there for me to enjoy, but they doesn't absorb me like a Mozart or Beethoven symphony does.

Ended up falling asleep, really?!? I'm a little surprised, Tristan und Isolde is one of the most beautiful Wagner's operas, very passionate and overwhelming! Anyway I admit that his music could be rather hard to understand at the beginning, with those complex textures, that extreme chromaticism and big orchestration; glad you try to listen to it at least. I'm also very pleased you like Mahler, he's one of my absolute favourite composers along with Wagner, Beethoven and Liszt.

[Mirror Image]

Ended up falling asleep, really?!? I'm a little surprised, Tristan und Isolde is one of the most beautiful Wagner's operas, very passionate and overwhelming! Anyway I admit that his music could be rather hard to understand at the beginning, with those complex textures, that extreme chromaticism and big orchestration; glad you try to listen to it at least. I'm also very pleased you like Mahler, he's one of my absolute favourite composers along with Wagner, Beethoven and Liszt.

I can hardly fault Steven for falling asleep 40 minutes into a Wagner opera. As much as I like Wagner, I can only take him in doses much like Mahler and Bruckner. For me, a little goes a long way in regards to these composers. I did have a Mahler phase later last week, but that well has since dried up.

[StevenOBrien]

Well before giving recommendations for any of Bartok's music, I have to ask: what have you heard?

I couldn't give you any exact works as I haven't taken the time to listen to him thoroughly. I'm only basing my dislike based on random concert and radio appearances of his works. So, just give me anything you think I'd like based on my tastes .

Also, I'm listening to the second piano concerto right now, it actually sounds rather interesting, I'll report back once I've finished with it. Thanks!

Ended up falling asleep, really?!? I'm a little surprised, Tristan und Isolde is one of the most beautiful Wagner's operas, very passionate and overwhelming! Anyway I admit that his music could be rather hard to understand at the beginning, with those complex textures, that extreme chromaticism and big orchestration; glad you try to listen to it at least. I'm also very pleased you like Mahler, he's one of my absolute favourite composers along with Wagner, Beethoven and Liszt.

It was my first time, cut me some slack! I think Wagner is a composer you can only truly appreciate after multiple hearings (Aren't all? Mozart is light and puffy, Bach is just a lot of notes until you learn to be absorbed by them) . For instance, I really enjoyed the prelude, as I had listened to it many times before starting on the opera itself. I plan to try some lighter Wagner sometime soon before attempting Tristan again.

[Karl Henning]

Also, I'm listening to the second piano concerto right now, it actually sounds rather interesting, I'll report back once I've finished with it. Thanks!

Splendid! That is Bartók in his more classical mode. Two other pieces which I found immediately likeable are the Dance Suite, and the Contrasts, for clarinet, violin and piano.

[Lisztianwagner]

I can hardly fault Steven for falling asleep 40 minutes into a Wagner opera. As much as I like Wagner, I can only take him in doses much like Mahler and Bruckner. For me, a little goes a long way in regards to these composers. I did have a Mahler phase later last week, but that well has since dried up.

Of course, no problem. Pity he didn't resist more time, 40 minutes aren't even enough to finish listening an entire wagnerian act.

Oh, then what are the results of your Mahler journey, John?

[Mirror Image]

Of course, no problem. Pity he didn't resist more time, 40 minutes aren't even enough to finish listening an entire wagnerian act.

Oh, then what are the results of your Mahler journey, John?

I like Mahler's music very much and admire his orchestral mastery, but he's not a composer I love.