Mark's Room 101

[MarkMcD]

This is my Room 101, where I'd like to keep an up to date collection of my Compositions.

As always, any comments are welcome.

Listed from most recent to oldest.  Music on soundcloud, and scores on dropbox.


Lily.  A piano sonata in 3 movements
https://soundcloud.com/user-729021187/lily
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ypn6x9ho6nv4g28/Lily%20Score.pdf?dl=0


Nocturne in C sharp Minor for Piano and Flute.
https://soundcloud.com/user-729021187/nocturn-in-c-minor
https://www.dropbox.com/s/b6youcpm8c5z2tt/Nocturn%20in%20C%23%20minor.pdf?dl=0


Fantasy for Reeds and Horns
https://soundcloud.com/user-729021187/fantasy-for-reeds-and-horn
https://www.dropbox.com/s/yzrfpqhs8yrf857/Fantasy%20for%20reeds%20and%20horn.pdf?dl=0


Lucia.  A waltz for Strings, Piano and Flute.
https://soundcloud.com/user-729021187/lucia
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xe6pffste32ybv1/Lucia.pdf?dl=0


La Marioneta.  Piano solo.
https://soundcloud.com/user-729021187/la-marioneta
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ybkul3fmd0x59sv/La%20Marioneta%20revised.pdf?dl=0


Dance on hot coals.  Piano solo.
https://soundcloud.com/user-729021187/dance-on-hot-coals


As I complete more work, I'll post it here.
Thanks to anyone who might like to comment, your thoughts and advice is always appreciated.
Kind regards
Mark

[Rons_talking]

Your music seems Romantic and dramatic in nature. I like your use of theme coming from the accompaniment. Right now, you could do more by employing more secondary tonalities. If you can get a bit adventurous and leap into chords from unrelated keys and shift the tonality a little it will pay off for you and the listener. Foe example, if you are in A minor, go to E major and back, then maybe C minor, etc. This will remain coherent so long as your theme is adjusted to match the other chords. Listen to Prokofiev's 3rd piano concerto.
Also some change of tempo or meter will spice things up. The continuous scaler playing with the LH can get monotonous. What I often do is use octaves with both hands playing more tonally ambiguous figures...there is no harmonic expectation once you leave you tonal centre; this gives you freedom to shift theme, tempo, tonality, and density when you land in a new section. Above all, listen to composers whose music you admire. It's OK to steal an idea or two! Good Luck!

[MarkMcD]

Thanks Ron,

I really appreciate your comments.  I've been researching harmonic relativity to try and introduce better, more unexpected key changes and tonality, I know my music is often lacking in this area.  I don't exactly regret having written this style of music, I consider it my version of the romantic ear and I'm reasonably proud of it, but I think of it often as being practice, and a way of expanding my skills in composition, each one a step down the road toward being able to produce much more contemporary music.  I'm not very far down the path yet, but I'll get there

Kind regards
mark

[Rons_talking]

Thanks Ron,

I really appreciate your comments.  I've been researching harmonic relativity to try and introduce better, more unexpected key changes and tonality, I know my music is often lacking in this area.  I don't exactly regret having written this style of music, I consider it my version of the romantic ear and I'm reasonably proud of it, but I think of it often as being practice, and a way of expanding my skills in composition, each one a step down the road toward being able to produce much more contemporary music.  I'm not very far down the path yet, but I'll get there

Kind regards
mark

Mark, I hope you didn't take what I suggested as a put-down. On the contrary, you have great control over your materials. As a Romantic-inspired piece, it's very well put together!

[MarkMcD]

Mark, I hope you didn't take what I suggested as a put-down. On the contrary, you have great control over your materials. As a Romantic-inspired piece, it's very well put together!

Not in the slightest Ron, I was pleased you commented, and I know I have to broaden my palette, both technically and inspirationally.  However, I'm not taking it as a race, poco a poco I think is more my pace.